Losses to the Indians’ starting rotation cause reshuffle

The losses of Carlos Carrasco and Danny Salazar from the starting rotation have effectively elevated every healthy starting pitcher not named Corey Kluber up a rung or two.

The Indians enter Tuesday leading the Detroit Tigers by seven games in the American League Central. Their magic number also stands at seven games with only 13 to play. Barring a drastic letdown the last two weeks, the Indians are barreling toward their first division title since 2007. Looking ahead to October, the injuries to those two starting pitchers will be the primary question regarding the Indians’ chances to advance to their first World Series since 1997.

Kluber remains the ace of the staff, and a needed workhorse. Should Salazar—rehabbing from a strained forearm—not be ready for the beginning of the postseason, Trevor Bauer is likely to start Game 2 of any series. That leaves Josh Tomlin as the probable starter for a Game 3, with Mike Clevinger the most likely candidate if a fourth starter is needed.

Tomlin was recently taken out of the rotation following an abysmal August that sent him and the club searching for answers. With a healthy staff, Tomlin was looking to be the No. 5 starter in a four-man playoff rotation. And as of a few weeks ago the club was hoping to keep Clevinger in the bullpen. Now, after those two signifiant losses, both could be key pieces to the Indians’ hopes in October.

Clevinger has been building up his pitch count his last three outings, increasing from 43 pitches thrown to 62 to 85. He’s now a part of the next-man-up mentality the Indians have looked to own the last several weeks.

“Obviously we know it’s going to be a little bit more of a challenge here, more pressure, more is put on your plate,” Clevinger said. “But I think everyone here is ready to go at any time. … This has been a wild ride. Everything from Marlon Byrd to this stuff happening now, it’s been eye opening.”

In the short run, the Indians are just trying to get through September. They continue their homestand with three-game series against the Kansas City Royals Tuesday-Thursday and then the Chicago White Sox this weekend.

Per Indians manager Terry Francona, Tomlin is slated to throw Tuesday, followed by Kluber. Clevinger will then start Thursday’s game, with Bauer slotting into Friday’s game.

Saturday’s game against the White Sox is when the Indians again have to get creative. Cody Anderson is currently expected to make that start, though it will be another “bullpen game,” as he won’t be able to lengthen out to the fifth or sixth inning just yet. Thanks to roster expansion in September, this is possible.

The Indians don’t currently have an answer for that fifth spot in the rotation past Saturday’s bullpen game and a few innings from Anderson. They’re piecing it together one turn through the rotation at a time.

“After that, we'll just kind of see,” Francona said. “We don't need to get too far ahead. I think the pitchers need to know to prepare for their turn coming through, but other than that, we'll just kind of go and see where we're at.”