The Indians will activate right-hander Danny Salazar from the 60-day injured list prior to Thursday’s contest, manager Terry Francona announced to reporters (Twitter link via Mandy Bell of MLB.com). Salazar, who is currently stretched out to about 70 pitches, will start that game and be followed by righty Adam Plutko if necessary. Cleveland will need to make a 40-man roster move to open a spot for Salazar.
Thursday will mark the first time Salazar has set foot on a big league mound in nearly two years. The talent possessed by the oft-injured righty is obvious, but shoulder troubles that ultimately necessitated surgery have put his career on hold for nearly 24 months. Salazar posted mixed results in that 2017 season, logging a pedestrian 4.28 ERA but averaging 12.7 K/9 in that 2017 season. From 2015-16, he notched a 3.63 ERA with 9.9 K/9 against 3.3 BB/9 in 322 1/3 innings.
Now 29 years old, Salazar returns to the Cleveland pitching staff as an x-factor. He long stood out as a potential top-of-the-rotation arm with the Indians, as many believed him just an adjustment or two away from elevating his performance to another tier. At the same time, given that he’s dealt with shoulder and elbow troubles dating back to the 2016 season, it’d be unrealistic to expect that Salazar simply bounces right back to form and locks down a spot in the Cleveland rotation. While such an outcome is a best-case scenario, banking on him doing so is rather ambitious after such a lengthy injury absence. There’s been prior talk of using Salazar in the bullpen as well, and that could eventually emerge as an option the organization chooses to explore.
The Indians have trimmed the Twins’ lead in the division back to two games, though Cleveland faces an imposing stretch on the schedule beginning tonight. They’re set to begin a three-game set against the Astros before moving onto series against the Angels, Rangers, Twins, Red Sox and Yankees in succession.
Salazar’s return comes at a pivotal time for the Indians, as they’ve reportedly been mulling trade offers for Trevor Bauer even as they climb back into the AL Central race. As the Indians determine precisely which course to chart with regard to Bauer, they’ll also be closely monitoring the status of two-time Cy Young winner Corey Kluber. Out for two-plus months due to a forearm fracture, Kluber is set to throw a simulated game this weekend (Twitter link via Ryan Lewis of the Akron Beacon-Journal). He could then progress to pitching in an actual game setting, though that next step will be dependent on how he feels following this weekend’s session.
Please stay healthy Danny!
Also get lit up in the process
Maybe focus on your own team for now
Lol jk
That’s great news.
i cant believe they are still trying to start him. so talented but so fragile.
Yes!!!!
Plutko was scheduled Wednesday….Plesac was scheduled Thursday….day right?
I think it’s Plutko scheduled Thursday.
And now it’s Salazar as the “opener” and Plutko to come in as relief when his pitch count gets up.
70 pitch limit? Maybe 3 innings from Danny. That has been his pattern.
Plesac is pitching tomorrow, and then Plutko will piggyback with Salazar on Thursday. They can do that since they had the off day yesterday.
Exactly
Truer words have never been spoken
Saladbar is scheduled to have a 70 pitch count on Thursday. Plutko will back him up after that.
For all those that were burying the Indians, I’d check inside the casket….they’re still breathing…..
Good for baseball to have 2+teams fighting for the division down the stretch. I see Ramirez has really turned it on past 3-4 weeks. What’s been the reason for your (Indians) turnaround? Lineup hitting better? New players gelling? SP?
Assuming he will start for now. If he does well he keeps starting and he’s banished to the bullpen once Kluber returns? Maybe?
No. They’ve long thought he is better served as a starter. His warmup and throwing doesn’t align good as a reliever where he’d have to go through it 3-4 times a week instead of every 6th game.
No? You see the future already? His warmup doesn’t align? He is a professional baseball player. If Francona banishes him to the bullpen he will do what it takes to be ready. What an awful way to rationalize a poor argument on your part.
Whatever genius, if you follow the Indians you’d actually know Francona has gone on record numerous times and said exactly what I did. Some guys warm up quickly and could do spot relief duty, Salazar is not one of hen. Crossing the fingers and hoping he doesn’t get hurt every 6th game is one thing, getting him up 2 out of every 3 nights is not for him.
Article from 2 weeks ago:
“ As for how he would deliver that help, it appears the Indians are considering a variety of roles including starter, reliever and opener. The Indians have used an opener only once this year, but it could make sense if Kluber or Carrasco rejoin the rotation on a pitch count. Salazar, whose arm has not reacted well to relief work, could pitch the first two innings of either of their starts and then make way for them.”
““It’s certainly something we could visit if we need to,” Francona said. “I don’t know if cautious is the right word, but the same things that maybe have entered into him not making 30 starts, if you put him in the bullpen — on a routine I think Danny would be great. I don’t know if you could have a routine once the season starts.
“If you could tell him, ‘We’re going to pitch you Monday, Thursday and Sunday,’ he might be lights out. I don’t know how you do that.””
Oh Danny boy…
Maybe Bauer and somebody else gets Traded for an OF to open spot.
Time to see how Danny performs. A poor showing means he is still Salad Bar…
Breaking News: Salazar to be shut down for the next 30 to 60 days. Needs more time to think about things.
Sick.
This could be a massive boost for the Indians, as a healthy and productive Salazar is honestly probably better than any SP out there available via trade. But healthy and productive is a big ‘If’ at this point. One pretty positive sign though is he really dominated minor leaguers in his rehab assignment. Mowing them down via K – if he can keep that up he’ll be a heck of an asset for the Tribe moving forward.
If Danny and Brantley were healthy a few years ago on Cleveland, they would have taken the Cubs in the WS
Damn, this is a guy that threw gas and tonight is throwing Greg Maddux “fastballs”…
Groove two changeups right down the heart of the plate for dingers. Hitting 80 and 84.5 on changeups when the fastball is only 87-88 is a recipe for batting practice.