Mike Clevinger's Return Should Completely Change Indians' Plans at the Trade Deadline
By Aaron Halford
With the July 31 trade deadline looming, teams across Major League Baseball have a decision to make: call it a season to get value and assets return or make a strong push for the postseason.
Currently four games behind the Minnesota Twins in the AL Central, Cleveland starting pitcher Mike Clevinger's return has given every indication that the Indians should try to contend for a playoff spot.
After posting a 17.05 ERA in his first two starts off the injured list, Clevinger has gone 2-0 with a 1.06 ERA and 27 strikeouts over his last three outings. What’s changed? ⬇️https://t.co/G3l6caZViB
— Mandy Bell (@MandyBell02) July 18, 2019
In Clevinger's three outings—all against division rivals—since returning from injury, he doesn't appear to have missed a step: 19 innings pitched, 2 earned runs and a whopping 27 strikeouts. In Wednesday's performance against the Detroit Tigers, Clevinger matched his career high with 12 strikeouts in six innings.
While starting pitching has always been a question mark for the Indians this season, Clevinger's return has to eliminate any lingering doubts. After all, only two teams remain competitive in the AL Central: the Twins and the Indians.
With only four games to make up throughout the second half of the season, the Indians should have their sights set on October, especially since they're expected to get Corey Kluber back in the not-too-distant future.