Indians Pitcher Emmanuel Clase Sidelined 8-12 Weeks With Back Injury

The Cleveland Indians made the tough decision to offload Corey Kluber this offseason in exchange for what was regarded as a less-than-substantial haul from the Texas Rangers. And now, to make matters worse, the headlining piece the Tribe received in the deal has just gone down with a significant injury.

Hard-throwing right-hander Emmanuel Clase will be shelved for between eight and 12 weeks of live action after straining the teres major muscle in his upper back, per insider Mandy Bell.

Emmanuel Clase's MRI confirmed a moderate strain of the teres major muscle in his upper back. He is expected to miss 8 to 12 weeks of game activity. This is the same injury Mike Clevinger sustained last April.
— Mandy Bell (@MandyBell02) February 27, 2020

The injury to Clase is notably similar to the one that sidelined fellow Cleveland hurler Mike Clevinger last April. Clevinger was out of commission from April 7 until June 17 before returning and pitching a stellar second half of the season.

Clase made his big league debut with the Rangers in 2019, featuring in 21 games and recording a 2.31 ERA with 21 strikeouts across 23.1 innings. The Indians were high on the reliever, at least enough so to deem him a desirable piece in the Kluber swap, but now they're forced to be without him for up to three months.

If anyone predicted “worst-case scenario” for the results of the Kluber trade, you’re not wrong so far https://t.co/ioRf5Fcs7y
— Always The Jake (@alwaysthejake) February 27, 2020

The loss of the 21-year-old reliever is a big blow for the Indians, and his ailment hurts even more considering Kluber moved to the Rangers for such a bargain. Just some rotten luck for the Tribe here.