CLEVELAND -- Cleveland Indians pitcher Trevor Bauer has not started a game since taking a line drive off of his right leg on August 11, but after throwing a simulated game Tuesday and coming through it without any setbacks, he will make his return to the rotation.
Bauer will start the opening game of a three-game series against the Boston Red Sox at Progressive Field Friday, more than five weeks after suffering a stress fracture in a start against the Chicago White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field in Chicago.
“Everything’s looking good,” manager Terry Francona said ahead of Wednesday’s game against the White Sox at Progressive Field. “He’s going to start on Friday. He’ll go a couple innings, and then, (the game will) finish in the bullpen.”
After returning to the rotation Friday, Bauer, a 2018 American League All-Star, will start Tuesday’s game against the White Sox in Chicago as the Indians, champions of the AL Central Division for the third straight season, ramp up for postseason play, which will get underway with the AL Division Series play on Friday, October 5.
“To give him a chance to start, we felt like he needed to have three outings,” Francona said. “So this was the way to do it. We talked to Trev, and he was really good about it. Getting him back is great. His goal and our goal is to see if he can start, but if he can’t, having him in the bullpen is still really positive.
“This was the best way to do it.”
Considered by some to be a potential American League Cy Young Award candidate for his efforts through the first four months of the season, Bauer is still on pace to have a career year in several statistical categories.
Despite missing more than a month, Bauer already has set a new career high for strikeouts.
Bauer has registered 214 strikeouts against 125 hits, 41 earned runs and 56 walks allowed in 166.0 innings of work over his 25 starts. Bauer enters Friday’s start with a 12-6 record and 2.22 earned run average while opposing hitters are batting just .205 against him.
“He’s gotten himself in a position where he’s jumping right into games, where you don’t have to worry about his arm,” Francona said. “He’s given himself every chance possible by the way he attacked his rehab.”
With Bauer’s return to the rotation, Mike Clevinger will be given an extra day’s rest and will make his next start on Saturday. Adam Plutko will start the final regular-season home game against the Red Sox on Sunday night.
Rookie Shane Bieber will come into the game Friday after Bauer gets in his work.
“Everybody’s going to have to pitch out of the bullpen at some point for us to get where we want to,” Francona said. “So that’ll be good for him.
“We think he would not be relegated to the bullpen. He’d be going there to help us win.”