Indians’ Kluber progressing from strained hamstring, still has tests to pass

CLEVELAND The Indians are nearing the point of being able to nail down when ace Corey Kluber will be able to return to their rotation.

Kluber has been sidelined since he was scratched from his start last Friday in Detroit with a strained right hamstring. Kluber felt it a bit while throwing a bullpen session in between starts and then might have exacerbated it while doing some conditioning drills.

On Thursday, Kluber worked in the outfield with pitching coach Mickey Callaway, which included some throwing. Kluber will then throw a bullpen session on Friday. The Indians will let him throw, rest and then try to make a determination.

“We’ll kind of gauge where 1/8he is3/8, let him come back in the next day and see how he feels, see how he’s moving around and try to figure out where we’ll slot him in,” Francona said. “We don’t need to get him out there before he’s ready. And he’s champing at the bit. But we want to make sure obviously that he’s OK.”

Francona doesn’t like to put timetables on players’ return dates but did say a week ago that it would probably be “at least ten days” before Kluber could again pitch. That would have Kluber returning sometime early next week.

The Indians need Kluber back in the rotation as they try to climb back into serious contention for the second American League wild-card spot. But they also won’t hurry him back and risk an injury that could nag him in the long run.

“The trainers, they have certain milestones or things they have to pass,” Francona said. “It’s not because we don’t want them to play, it’s because we want them to play with health so they don’t hurt something else. So he’ll go through a couple things like covering first or doing some agility things.”

(c)2015 Akron Beacon Journal (Akron, Ohio)

Visit the Akron Beacon Journal (Akron, Ohio) at www.ohio.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.