Cleveland Indians: Will Danny Salazar return to the rotation?

The Cleveland Indians have a decision to make when Danny Salazar returns in the near future. Who is going to be left out of the rotation?

Danny Salazar is supposedly all smiles after a successful rehab start in Double A-Akron. He will continue to rehab in Triple-A Columbus this week. If all goes well, Danny is on track to be back in the big leagues by next week. The Tribe could hold him back until after the All-Star break.

If they do, what does that mean for the rest of the rotation?

Ideally, Salazar comes back as the Tribe’s third option in the rotation. Mike Clevinger is pitching well, and he looks like he is staying. So, who’s out?

Trevor Bauer and Josh Tomlin are the two obvious candidates. What does the Tribe and Terry Francona do? Bauer went 2-2 in June with a 3.82 ERA. He has looked a lot better since a shaky April and May.

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Tomlin went 1-3 with a 3.58 ERA in May, but he has definitely regressed. For someone who barely touches 90 and rarely throws over 100 pitches, I fear that the Indians will designate Tomlin for assignment.

For all of Bauer’s flaws, he is a workhorse. Even in a bad outing, he can consistently get through 100 pitches and pitch into the sixth inning. Tomlin does not have the stamina or ability to get out of jams with strikeouts.

Tomlin is older (32) than Bauer and is on the last year of his deal. Even though Tomlin is cheap, he is not the future of the organization, and the Tribe will likely DFA him.

The Tribe can pick up a starter through a trade, if necessary, or grab someone off of waivers after the August deadline. The Indians will have plenty of options if they decide that one of Bauer, Salazar, or Clevinger should not be in the rotation long-term.

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If Tomlin wants to stay with the club, he could accept an option to AAA Columbus, hoping that someone falters so he gets another shot. Otherwise, I fear that this is the end for Josh. It’s been an okay run.