Mike Clevinger’s Chance to Shine is Now

Adversity breeds opportunity and the Cleveland Indians’ rotation woes have become Mike Clevinger’s golden chance to solidify a spot in the big leagues.

Tribe ace Corey Kluber is dealing with a bad back and was recently placed on the 10-day disabled list. While Cleveland is optimistic for a speedy return, it’s made it clear that it won’t rush Kluber back.

The Indians just revealed that Clevinger will take Kluber’s spot in the rotation and will make his start on May 7 against Kansas City. He is not new to the big leagues, filling in for Carlos Carrasco and Danny Salazar in 2016. In 10 starts, he went 3-3 and posted uninspiring numbers — a 5.06 ERA, 1.49 WHIP with 50 strikeouts in 53 innings pitched. Clevinger also supporting the staff out of the bullpen in long relief later in the year, including 5.2 innings of work in the postseason.

I was worried about the rotation in our Indians preview podcast, but those concerns focused more on the other four pitchers — health for Carrasco and Salazar and consistency for Josh Tomlin and Trevor Bauer. Kluber was supposed to be the machine, but even machines need routine maintenance every now and then.

Carrasco and Salazar have been solid to start the season — Salazar settling in after a rocky first outing. With Kluber hurt the Indians need them to remain healthy, and consistent, now more than ever. But Clevinger has an interesting opportunity to perhaps make his cameo a supporting role if he’s able to outpitch Tomlin and Bauer. And so far in 2017, they have not set the bar high.

Tomlin has only allowed less than four runs in two of his six starts and is 2-3 on the year with an 8.87 ERA and a 1.76 WHIP. He’s also allowed at least seven hits in each of his starts and at least eight base runners in five. Most recently, however, Tomlin turned in his best outing of the year in a 3-1 win against Kansas City on May 6. He allowed just three hits in seven innings of work.

Bauer has been just as bad, and arguably worse, already allowing six home runs in just five starts with a 7.67 ERA and a 1.59 WHIP. He’s only made it past the fifth inning three times and only allowed fewer than four runs once — a 6-2 victory against Minnesota, by far his best outing of the year (seven strikeouts in 6.1 innings). Like Tomlin, he carries a 2-3 record.

Clevinger may not be the magic bullet replacement to Kluber, but if he can show in a handful of starts he’s more reliable than Tomlin or Bauer, he probably won’t have to worry about a return trip to Columbus when the Indians ace returns from the DL. He’s currently 3-1 with a 1.50 ERA and a 1.10 WHIP in Triple-A, striking out 32 batters in 30 innings.

To be fair, he also was 11-1 with a 3.00 ERA and a 1.21 WHIP facing Triple-A competition last season and those numbers didn’t stick in the majors. But right now, 2016 Clevinger is more consistent than 2017 Tomlin or Bauer. And that’s assuming Clevinger hasn’t made any strides between his first taste of big-league ball and now. His current numbers with Columbus seem to suggest that he has, but we’ll know for sure once he makes his first start.

Tomlin and Bauer may have had more latitude than most given the significant role they played during the Indians 2016 World Series run, Tomlin especially. Good will can only last for so long and now that Kluber’s injury has opened the door for one of the Indians’ brightest prospects to make a name for himself, both of those guys are on the clock.

Right the ship, or one might be sailing back down to Columbus come Kluber’s return.