Cleveland Indians: Four-point checklist for the month of May

Stabilize Rotation

The starting rotation for the Cleveland Indians has been strong, most of the time. Shane Bieber and Aaron Civale have been consistently strong, as expected, while Zach Plesac and Triston McKenzie have been a bit hit or miss. Logan Allen on the other hand struggled through April and ended up being demoted to leave a question mark in the rotation.

Early indications have speculated that perhaps the recently called up Sam Hentges could fill the role and given the signs from the staff that seems to be the plan. Since being called up, Hentges has pitched in three games, totaling 5.2 innings with three earned runs allowed, all solo home runs, for a 4.76 ERA.

For Cleveland to become more consistent in the win column, they need to solidify the rotation and that really begins with finding the fifth starter. Bieber, Civale, Plesac and McKenzie can all hold their ground, but finding the final piece will be crucial. It might be Hentges, but if he doesn’t pan out the Tribe will need to either continue trying out prospects or look to make a roster addition through either a trade or free agency. While Cleveland’s organization is known for creating strong pitching talent, they might need a band-aid fix for a year.