Cleveland Indians relief pitcher Emmanuel Clase will be out 8-12 weeks with an upper back strain, per Zack Meisel of the Athletic.
And yes, we don’t normally talk about relievers on American League Central teams being injured, but as everyone recalls, Clase was a Texas Rangers relief pitcher until a few months ago. Clase was the prize piece that went to the Indians in the trade that also sent Delino DeShields to Cleveland, and brought Corey Kluber to Texas.
Clase would seem to likely be unavailable for the Indians until sometime in June. The 21 year old righthander, who burst on the scene in 2019, starting the year at high-A Down East and reaching the majors last summer despite never having pitched in full season ball before the 2019 season, was expected to be a key piece for the Cleveland bullpen this year, and potentially challenge for the closer role.