Cleveland Indians: Mike Clevinger gets first shot to prove himself in 2017

Mike Clevinger is making his 2017 Cleveland Indians debut today and has the chance to show he deserves a spot in the rotation.

The news that Corey Kluber was headed to the disabled list may have been a bummer for Cleveland Indians fans, but Mike Clevinger knew it meant there was an opportunity awaiting.

Clevinger is up with the Indians and set to start this afternoon in Kansas City as the Indians look to win the series against the Royals in what has been a frustrating series on offense, but a great one by the pitching staff.

A 3-1 loss followed by a 3-1 victory by the Indians means Clevinger has a lot to live up to in his first start with the team in 2017, but his Triple-A numbers seem to signal he is ready.

Clevinger has a 3-1 record this year in Columbus, owning a 1.50 ERA and striking out 32 batters in 30 innings. He also held his own with the Indians last season, filling in when needed and starting a total of 10 games.

He has a strong lineup behind him today, at least on paper, and it will be up to the guys to put some rallies together after scraping across a total of four runs combined in the first two games of this series.

More from Away Back Gone

• Cleveland Guardians tantalizingly close to locking up AL Central tiebreakers
• Cleveland Guardians: Terry Francona becomes meme in profanity-laced ejection
• Say goodbye to defensive shifts and hello to bigger bases, pitch clock in 2023
• Cleveland Guardians: Shane Bieber second-fastest to 800 strikeouts in major-league history
• The next week will make or break the Cleveland Guardians’ season

Fans may be wondering if a great start from Clevinger would set him on a path to replace either Josh Tomlin or Trevor Bauer in the rotation, but it is too early to tell.

Tomlin entered yesterday’s game with a 8.87 ERA, only to go seven strong innings and allow just one run on three hits. He was also only at 76 pitches, so he could have gone further if his offense had put up some runs.

Bauer has also struggled, having allowed at least four runs in four of his five starts, but Terry Francona knows he has the potential to turn things around.

It may take another full month of work to even consider a change, but Clevinger can begin the decision-making process on his own with a great start today.

Because if Bauer and Tomlin continue to struggle once Kluber makes his return, there is no time for patience when a great replacement is waiting down in Columbus.

Next: Cody Allen named Reliever of the Month

That process starts this afternoon, so let’s see how Clevinger responds to this opportunity.