Cleveland Indians: How is the new starting rotation laid out?

Appropriate adjustments were made by the Cleveland Indians’ starting rotation to accommodate yesterday’s weather.

The unique, yet very frustrating variable at times in baseball is the weather changing. The good thing in yesterday’s game was that the Cleveland Indians shut out the Kansas City Royals 8-0!

However, the bad news was that the bullpen had to be utilized much more than one would have liked.

Due to a rain delay, starting pitcher Trevor Bauer‘s outing did not last long at all. As a result, his start lasted just 1 2/3 innings.

The series is now over with the Royals. Today, Cleveland gets a day off before their next series starts on the road tomorrow versus the Colorado Rockies.

With the inclement weather, changes to the starting rotation were needed. Earlier today, the team announced what those adjustments are.

As listed above, in the first game versus Colorado, right-hander Mike Clevinger gets the call. He is followed by Bauer, Corey Kluber, Josh Tomlin, and Carlos Carrasco finishes the week.

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Long-time starter but now reliever Danny Salazar had struggled and is working his way back to getting into a groove. Once he does, will manager Terry Francona opt for him to start instead? Between the inconsistencies both Bauer and Tomlin showcases regularly, both should be options to pitch out of the ‘pen instead.

If Salazar did not struggle recently, I am confident either Bauer or Tomlin would have been sent to the bullpen. If/once they can acquire a TBD left-handed starting pitcher, then that will benefit the franchise even more.

Despite those three pitchers’ less than stellar work so far in 2017, Cleveland is in a great spot. According to MLB.com, Cleveland is just one game out of first place with a 29-26 record.

The Minnesota Twins currently sits atop the A.L. Central at 29-24, but they are very young and far less experienced than Cleveland. It is only a matter of days before the Tribe takes over the top spot again.

Evaluating the rotation at the moment, I am a strong advocate for a balanced rotation. With no ideal left-handed options available at the moment, the Tribe must work with what they got.

Next: Indians' pitching issues dates back to the draft

Luckily, for them, they have two of the best in their rotation: Kluber and Carrasco. Clevinger is showing how promising he could be and appears to be more comfortable each time he is out on the mound.