TORONTO: The shuffling of the Indians’ rotation continues. And now it involves contingency plans.
Indians manager Terry Francona said rookie left-hander Ryan Merritt — not Mike Clevinger as originally announced — is now in line to make a start in the American League Championship Series.
It all comes back to Trevor Bauer, his drones and the questions surrounding whether or not his lacerated pinkie would hold up in Game 3. It didn’t, as the cut began to bleed in the first inning, causing his early exit.
Francona said before the game that if that happened, Corey Kluber would start Game 4 on short rest and Merritt would start Game 5. Had Bauer’s finger held up, Merritt would have taken the mound in Game 4 with Kluber following in Game 5. After Josh Tomlin in Game 6, Kluber is now also the likely Game 7 starter, if needed.
Merritt is taking Clevinger’s place in part because he’s lengthened out to a greater degree and can give the Indians a more traditional start if he pitches well. Clevinger likely would have only been able to throw two or three innings. He’ll remain available in the bullpen.
Merritt wasn’t even originally supposed to be on the Indians’ ALCS roster.
That spot was slated to go to Joe Colon, but when Bauer hurt his finger the night before Game 1, the club wanted to add some length in the bullpen.
“As you can imagine, there were a lot of quick conversations going, but I think that’s part of where [President of Baseball Operations Chris Antonetti] and his guys are so good, because they’re organized,” Francona said. “It’s like, ‘OK, let’s just get to where we need to get to, and it’s not hard to do it.’ ”
It was only a few weeks ago that Merritt was making his first career start in the major leagues while the Indians tried to scrape their way through the end of the regular season.
He pitched well in that game, limiting the Kansas City Royals to one run in five innings. Merritt has one start and 11 innings to his name in the majors, but the Indians’ situation has thrust him into one of the biggest starts for the franchise in the past decade.
“It’s an honor to be pitching in the playoffs,” Merritt said. “It’s my first year in the major leagues, and it’s a great feeling that Terry Francona trusts me to go out and try to win a baseball game for them in the playoffs.”
Merritt is a 24-year-old of few words. After Francona’s news conference, the manager stuck around to watch Merritt’s to see how he’d handle it.
Merritt was asked what makes him more nervous, his first major news conference with reporters or going out and facing the Toronto Blue Jays in the ALCS on the road.
“This, all day,” he said of the news conference.
Ryan Lewis can be reached at rlewis@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the Indians blog at www.ohio.com/indians. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/RyanLewisABJ and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/RyanLewisABJ