Back injury sidelines reliever Clase

Another Indians pitcher has been added to the injury list, and this might be the most serious of 2020.

Relief pitcher Emmanuel Clase will miss eight to 12 weeks with an upper back injury, the Indians announced Feb. 27. Specifically, Clase is dealing with a moderate strain of the teres major muscle, which is the same injury that shelved starting pitcher Mike Clevinger for two months early in the 2019 regular season.

Clevinger suffered a knee injury Feb. 12 this year and underwent arthroscopic surgery two days later. He was expected to miss six-to-eight weeks from the time of surgery.

Starter Carlos Carrasco suffered a right leg injury squatting during a workout one week after Clevinger was injured. Tests revealed a strained right hip flexor that did not require surgery. Carrasco was listed as day to day.

The Indians are always cautious with players rehabbing from injuries. Nevertheless, the reports from spring training on Clevinger and Carrasco have been encouraging.

The Tribe will follow the same cautious path with Clase, especially because they have no history of how quickly he recovers from an injury. Clase and outfielder Delino DeShields Jr. were acquired from the Rangers in a December trade that sent starting pitcher Corey Kluber to Texas. “You know what? We’re actually kind of surprised

that it was that length because he wasn’t complaining about it very much at all,” Indians manager Terry Francona told reporters covering spring training. “Obviously he must be a pretty tough kid. Now, the rehab and the way he progresses goes completely on how he’s feeling.”

Clase has yet to appear in a Cactus League game or throw live batting practice because he started feeling discomfort in his upper right arm after a bullpen session about a week ago, according to the medical report provided by the Indians. An MRI performed Feb. 26 revealed the extent of the injury.

“Like we talked about with Clev last year, he was

so far ahead because he healed so quickly,” Francona said. “They’ll go week to week (with Clase), and then when you hit a milestone, you’ll go to another milestone. But it’s going to be completely on how he heals.”

The eight- to 12-week timetable obviously means Clase will not pitch in spring training. The bestcase scenario has him returning to baseball activity near the end of April.

Clase pitched in 21 games with the Rangers last year. He struck out 21 batters, allowed two home runs and gave up six walks in 23 1/3 innings. His average fastball velocity in 2019 was clocked at 99.2 mph