Indians Shut Down Corey Kluber After He Suffers Injury Early on in Rehab Start
By Sam Dunn
The Cleveland Indians have ridden a second-half surge right into a strong playoff position in the AL, but if they planned on competing for glory, having all their weapons in working order is a must. And that's what makes today's news so disappointing.
Staff ace Corey Kluber, who had been on a rehab assignment with Triple-A Columbus, has been shut down from throwing for at least two weeks after suffering an oblique injury.
Corey Kluber suffered an internal oblique strain in his last rehab start. He's been shut down from throwing and will begin a rehab program. His time frame for return to game activity is TBD. He'll be re-examined in two weeks.
— Mandy Bell (@MandyBell02) August 20, 2019
Not at all the news Tribe fans wanted to hear, especially given that Carlos Carrasco is still working his way back from leukemia treatment and Trevor Bauer was surprisingly offloaded to the Reds.
Kluber had been on the shelf since fracturing his forearm in early May.
Turns out Corey Kluber has an internal oblique strain... pic.twitter.com/m8Cy6qwDPG
— Always The Jake (@alwaysthejake) August 20, 2019
This latest setback throws the date of his expected return up in the air, and with the Indians locked in a competitive playoff chase -- they're currently two games back of Minnesota in the AL Central and 1.5 games clear of the Rays at the top of the Wild Card hunt -- this is a disheartening development.