Corey Kluber is expected to make his next start with the Cleveland Indians on Thursday, the team’s Twitter account has confirmed.
From Terry today: Corey Kluber's next start will be for us, and most likely Thursday.
— #VoteTribe 5x a day (@Indians) May 27, 2017
Subject to change, of course. pic.twitter.com/T7HhLPKbYI
This would be Kluber’s seventh start of the season and his first since he left his May 3 start against the Detroit Tigers with lower back soreness.
Kluber apparently only needed one rehab start to prove he was ready. He threw five innings with the Akron RubberDucks Friday, striking out one and allowing just one hit the 10-0 ‘Ducks win.
Currently there is no exact timetable for a call-up, but the Indians will let every other pitcher have one more start before Kluber makes his return. For Josh Tomlin, Danny Salazar, Trevor Bauer, and Mike Clevinger, it will be an audition to keep their job once Kluber returns. The Indians have already shot down the idea of a six-man rotation, and with Carlos Carrasco a fixture in the rotation, that means someone will be the odd man out when The Klubot returns to his throne. Whether that means another trip to Columbus for Clevinger, or a bullpen stint for any of them remains to be seen.