Mike Clevinger Heads to the Injured List

The Cleveland Indians were dealt a big blow to their starting rotation yesterday. The team officially announced that starting pitcher Mike Clevinger was going to undergo surgery for a partial tear of the meniscus in his left knee.

After the surgery, it was announced that Clevinger would be sidelined for 6-8 weeks. Granted, that is a rough estimation and doesn’t account for any potential roadblocks that Clevinger faces during the recovery process. The news regarding the time table was first confirmed by Zack Meisel of The Athletic on Twitter.

Mike Clevinger is expected to return to major league game activity in 6-8 weeks following today’s knee surgery

— Zack Meisel (@ZackMeisel) February 15, 2020

Big Loss for the Cleveland Indians Starting Rotation

Mike Clevinger is a beloved member of the Cleveland Indians roster, but the loss of him is a big blow to the Indians starting rotation as well. Cleveland had Clevinger penciled in at the top of their rotation to pair with Shane Bieber. Bieber really became a well-known starting pitcher last year.

When you take into account the performance of Clevinger and Bieber from last season, it equals out to be a 3.07 ERA over 360.1 innings of work. In that span, both right-handers combined to record 428 strikeouts. Furthermore, Clevinger and Bieber had an opponent batting average against values of under .230. To say the loss of Clevinger is a big loss is a significant understatement.

For a Cleveland Indians team that is looking to be a threat in the American League Central, they need Mike Clevinger at the top of their starting rotation. Without him, the rotation loses credibility in a sense and loses some of that workhorse mentality that he brought to the mound every fifth day last season.

Where the Cleveland Indians Turn To Now for Help

The Cleveland Indians very rarely go outside of the organization for reinforcements when this type of stuff happens. For example, consider last season when the team lost then ace Corey Kluber. Kluber only made seven starts last season and dealt with a right ulna fracture he suffered in early May.

While the loss of Kluber was significant at that time, as it is with Mike Clevinger, the Indians found a way to prevail. Thus, the team found in-house replacements to replace the production left behind by Corey Kluber. That’s where Mike Clevinger’s role grew within the starting rotation and Shane Bieber ended up emerging as a frontline starting pitcher.

Therefore, the Cleveland Indians will continue to hold the mentality that they can overcome this internally as an organization. When you look at the Indians roster and farm system, there are a few potential options to replace Clevinger.

Potential Replacements in the Rotation

For starters, the Cleveland Indians should have right-hander Carlos Carrasco back at full strength this year. If Carrasco is healthy and pitching like he’s capable of, then that gives the Indians someone to pair with Bieber at the top. Carrasco dealt with leukemia last season and the many obstacles that it brought about.

Furthermore, don’t forget about right-hander Zach Plesac either. Plesac was yet another arm that emerged for the Indians last season. He finished the year to the tune of a 3.81 ERA over 21 starts. Pleasac, who is entering his age 25 season and is the nephew of former big-league pitcher Dan Plesac, is a very talented starter with a high-ceiling. Therefore, the Indians could probably allow him to make more starts now with Clevinger out of the mix.

Beyond Carrasco and Plesac, yet another option for the Indians is right-hander Aaron Civale. Civale started 10 games in 2019 in which he recorded a 2.34 ERA with an opponent batting average against of .216. Over those 10 starts, Civale had a K/9 rate of 7.18 and averaged 15 pitches per inning. Civale does a great job of throwing his pitches down and away to create swing and miss stuff.

Finally, another potential option for the Cleveland Indians is 22-year old left-hander, Logan Allen. Allen was acquired as part of the three-team blockbuster trade from the San Diego Padres last July. That was the trade that included former Indians starting pitcher Trevor Bauer being dealt away to the Cincinnati Reds. Allen is a guy that the Indians are very high on and believe will impact their starting rotation in a big way. The 2020 season may very well be the season where Allen takes that next step forward.

Final Thoughts

In the end, the loss of right-hander Mike Clevinger is a big blow for the Cleveland Indians starting rotation. However, as is always the case, the Indians have done a phenomenal job of building up the amount of pitching depth throughout their farm system. Therefore, Cleveland can overcome this injury and find the next breakout star to be a pivotal part of their rotation in 2020.