The Indians received another injury blow Thursday, as an MRI revealed a moderate strain of the teres major muscle in hard-throwing young reliever Emmanuel Clase’s back (Twitter link via Ryan Lewis of the Akron Beacon-Journal). Clase, the main player Cleveland received in the trade that sent Corey Kluber to the Rangers, is expected to miss eight to 12 weeks of game activity.
If the injury sounds familiar to Indians fans, that’s because it’s the same muscle strain that sidelined right-hander Mike Clevinger for more than two months early in the 2019 season. Clevinger landed on the IL on April 9 and was able to make it back on the shorter end of that timetable — returning to action in just under 10 weeks’ time, on June 17.
The loss of Clase is tough for the Indians not only because it leaves them with only Delino DeShields Jr. as an immediate return for Kluber but also because Clase had been expected to be a key late-inning weapon for manager Terry Francona. Clase made his big league debut at just 21 years old last year, showing off a triple-digit sinker that helped him pitch to a 2.31 ERA with a 21-to-6 K/BB ratio and a whopping 60.6 percent ground-ball rate in 23 1/3 innings of work.
Clase has been heralded as a potential closer of the future in the Indians organization, although for the time being (once healthy), he’s likely to serve as a setup piece for All-Star closer Brad Hand. With Clase sidelined, the Indians will likely look to right-hander Nick Wittgren as the primary setup option for Hand. Other options in the ’pen include veteran lefty Oliver Perez, as well as right-handers Adam Cimber and Hunter Wood. There’s a fair bit of competition for the final few bullpen spots to begin the season — particularly now that Clase will begin the season on the 15-day injured list. (Remember: Major League Baseball upped the minimum IL stay for pitchers from 10 to 15 days, effective in 2020.)
While it’s a disheartening start to the beginning of Clase’s Indians tenure, he’ll have plenty of time to make an impact with his new club. Clase has yet to accrue a full year of MLB service time, though he’ll likely cross that threshold at some point in 2020. He’s under team control through at least the 2025 season and won’t even be eligible for arbitration until the completion of the 2022 season.
Keep the receipt?
Holy Crap… I love Clase, but… They’ve been tricked, they’ve been backstabbed, and quite possibly, bamboozled.
Hoodwinked, even.
wool pulled over their eyes
Runamuck?
You blew it
Blindsided by hodgepodgery.
Hornswoggled!
Flabbergasted at how duped the Indians are.
Or… he’ll get healthy and have a good career
and it just keeps getting better. At this rate, they’ll be trading Frankie by May 1st
The Indians just need to trade Lindor to the Pirates so that they’ll win the trade lol.
How is Taylor Hearn and Sherten Apostel(?) for Keone Kela working out for you?
So, in your infinite wisdom, you bash pirate returns and yet, have convenient amnesia on Ranger exploits. Nice work.
Sherten Apostel was 19 at the time of the trade. He will take time to develop.
Hearn has looked good, but he dealt with an injury last season. Texas will use him in the Majors this season.
Kela’s pitched 44 quality innings for Pittsburgh, but has been a headache for the team on and off the field.
Anybody judging that trade a clear win for the Pirates is the moron. Trades take time to judge.
I’m really confused by this statement… Like I’d much rather have 2 players that may live up to potential or have Hearn be equal to Kela than have all the drama that the Pirates have with Kela. I liked Kela but after some of the things that have happened with him I’d rather not have the distractions. I also think the other comment was just tongue and cheek. Rangers have had good returns for players and even when giving up guys for Hamels and Lucroy the best player they gave up was Jorge Alfaro. I’d take those two guys for that one that panned out.
Hey clepto, I love that trade. Hearn is healthy now, and he will be put at AAA following spring training, but watching him pitch in spring training, I think he hasn’t given up a run yet. And Apostel was in A ball last season, but he has immense power, and he is a 3rd base prospect (which the rangers need). The Rangers have tons of good bullpen arms, and even more coming up (for examples: Evans) so it’s nice not having to deal with Keone’s off the field headache’s. So yeah, that was a win, thanks.
Apostel: [CITED] overall grade 50. “Apostel is still a work in progress offensively but has the upside of at least an average hitter with plus power.”
And Taylor Hearn, (-.3 WAR) isnt even listed in Top 100 prospects.
*So* when the Pirates flip Kela this year for a top 100 prospect, easily, who really won the trade?
If thats how you play cards, Ill play you any day of the week. If it makes you happy to say you won, feel free.
You mean the same Keone Kela that got suspended for fighting his own coach, fighting other teams, and before that got demoted by TEX because his attitude was that bad? Yeah good stuff, definitely send on over a 100 and a couple lottos for a guy who throws one inning
Kela doesn’t return a top 100 prospect. Chapman Yates etc. relievers of that group would get top 100 prospects. 50 means average to above average. I’ll take that for an average reliever who is volatile on and off the field.
Lets make sure all the facts are out…
Who did he fight specifically in the locker room? Where is that guy now?
What coach did he get into an altercation with and who was the first to go in house cleaning of management? We need names.
Kela? He has history. But my point remains, and that is, Rangers dont have a stellar record of returns, not so much better than Pirates in any recent history.
If Keone Kela get flipped for a top 100 prospect then I’ll be surprised. But right now you have to look at the situation. Hearn is on the verge of contributing to the Rangers rotation, and he will bring value in doing so. And Apostel isn’t even out of A ball!!! You can’t judge a trade before all the cards play out.
Oh and btw a huge reliever was traded two years ago (in 2018) that didn’t garner a top 100 prospect in return, and that was Zach Britton. The best piece of that deal was Dillon Tate, he was a top 100 prospect with the Rangers in 2015, but in 2018 with the Yankees, he was their 8th best prospect. He wasn’t in the top 100 in 2018, and he was the big piece for Zach Britton!!! If you think Kela, with all his off the field issues, will bring in a better haul than Britton, you are insane!
Calhoun for Darvish is better than any of the players they got back for Gerrit Cole unless Musgrove and Moran become better than they are. Again also haven’t given up significantly important pieces when the best player given up is Jorge Alfaro for Hamels. Those were definitely worth it but hey at least they got lucky and got a *now* top 100 guy in Oneil for Watson.
The Rangers got Nick Solak for Peter Fairbanks. Solak would be our 2nd baseman if Odor’s albatross wasn’t there. And if you are thinking about the Fielder – Kinsler trade, well than the Rangers didn’t know Fielder was going to break his neck. Fielder would’ve been in the HOF if he didn’t get injured in 16′. Wait, what about the Mark Teixeira trade where we got Andrus, Feliz, and Harrison. Oh wait, Andrus is still our starting shortstop, and is the longest shortstop tenured by one team right now… nice. We got rid of Profar for a lotto ticket in Brock Burke, who looked decent, but went down with Tommy John.
So okay, tell me some more “bad trades” the Rangers have made.
Fielder had a better chance at gastric bypass surgery then making the HOF
Ouch that TeX trade still hurts after all these years lol
I was following this thread until you said Kela would be flipped for a top 100 prospect this season. That won’t happen. Will you please take a bet on that?
Pirates aren’t getting a top 100 prospect for kela lol.
He’s in his last year before free agency. And he’s proven to have attitude issues.
Teams aren’t gonna pay a top 100 prospect for half a season of a guy who could cause clubhouse issues.
Think these things through man.
I was following this thread until you said Kela would be flipped for a top 100 prospect this season. That won’t happen. Will you please take a bet on that?!? Lol.
It’s hard to believe the Indians were not more interested in Brandon Marsh.
I’m not one to say how good Brandon Marsh looks or doesn’t look, but I do know that Clase looked really good last September. I mean, he threw a 101 mph cutter! His one issue was that he threw way too many strikes leaving some balls right over the plate. But he still looks like a back of the bullpen guy. Now, how long that high velocity lasts I don’t know, but right now he looks like a really attractive reliever option.
Rangers29… but we are still talking about a relief pitcher. The most volatile position in baseball.
Yeah, that’s why I said IDK how long his velo will last, because earlier I also stated that he leaves to many pitches over the plate. That’s why they’re volatile. Imagine a decrease in his velocity, but he still throws the ball right over the middle of the plate at 95, that’s getting hit. But right at this moment he looks good, but I see what you’re saying.
Weren’t the rumors the Indians asked for Marsh to headline the trade? And Eppler told him no?
At least that’s what I remember.
Should of traded Kluber to the Yankees. The Rangers gave up nothing. Florial or Frazier on the Yankees has more of an upside the DeSheilds
If DeShields and Clase were all the Indians got from the Rangers for Kluber, I’m not sure what makes you think they could have even gotten Frazier from the Yankees.
The Angels were rumored to have offered Brandon Marsh (who’s better than either of those guys), but the Indians wanted another player so they pivoted to the Rangers.
Florial is garbage though. I’m tired of seeing his name come up; he’s a big name because he was a top prospect, but he just isn’t very good.
Angels didn’t offer Marsh, Indians asked for Marsh and that’s where the deal ended
The Indians wanted Marsh…. AND MORE… They wanted another Angel top ten prospect.
It was the and more that stalled the deal.
The Indians screwed up.
Pretty sure the Indians asked for Marsh and Eppler told him no. Top 50/100 prospect gets more that a broken Kluber
I’ve heard so many conflicting reports, but it seems pretty consistent that the Angels would have given up Marsh.
It was the “more” that was the hold up.
The Yankees would have gift wrapped Frazier and thrown in same day delivery for free if Cleveland was interested in him. The fact of the matter is, Frazier is just not that good of a prospect. At best, he’s an average to slightly above average DH, which are a dime a dozen in the AL. The kid can’t play in the OF and is a streaky hitter. Classic example of a team overvaluing their prospects. Reminds me of the Red Sox Henry Owens hype.
Prospect hype is real on the Yankees. At 26 years old they would basically be at the point of trading him for another lottery ticket younger than him, not an established player that requires prospects in return.
This trade already looked bad for Cleveland when they made it, so hopefully this kid will recover and look great, or else this is going to resemble the Pirates trade for Chris Archer.
They can’t lose this trade. They picked his option up to trade him. It was get something for him or nothing. He was gone anyway. Clase will be fine. He had has already had success. We got the depth to manage until he is ready. Clase was not even guaranteed a bullpen spot.
Bingo!
Wittgren is probably the setup guy for now. But Karinchak is the guy that probably takes that up at some point this season, and is likely a future closer himself.
What is on his forehead?
A dread hanging out from his hat.
good thing the indians FO dumped salary for this, right guys
Just go away, pot stirrer.
start rebuilding-
Uh, it’s only Spring Training time. At least he’ll get to avoid the early-season freezing cold temperatures in Cleveland, Detroit, and Minnesota.
I thought teres major is something you need a telescope to see.
Oliver Perez has been pitching in the majors since 2002. Take it easy on writing this guy off.
karinchek
I don’t know what the hell that is, but it sounds bad
Never fails, the geniuses that live with a crystal ball all of a sudden with the would’ve could’ve should’ves…smh
True, very true.
Ninety wins four seasons in a row, I think the Tribe’s front office knows what it’s doing.
And isn’t Brandon Marsh hurt as well,out with a bad elbow?
Athletes get injuries,Clase pulled a muscle in his back,it’s not the end of the world.