Indians: Zach Plesac to return Thursday and hopefully back to form

Zach Plesac is finally ready to return to the Indians.

Zach Plesac is having a bad 2021. He struggled out of the gate giving up 17 runs in his first 26 innings pitched for the year, but then settled down, only giving up 10 runs over his next 32.1 innings pitched. He started to settle down and then he goes down with an injury. That sum’s up the season for the Indians in a nutshell.

It wasn’t the first big one of the year, but it was the first big one to the starting rotation. A rotation that had already had its share of issues at the backend, a remedy the Tribe is hoping to find with Brian Peacock and Zach Godley; two recent veteran signings.

Both men are getting loose in the minors at the moment but both should be on the Major League roster in the coming weeks. Plesac, however, is ready to return this Thursday. A return that couldn’t have come at a better time for the rotation. With reinforcements on their way, Plesac can finally come back and prove that his 2019 season wasn’t a fluke.

Zach Plesac is leading the way for the rest of the Indians pitching to return

The Tribe has struggled over the last few weeks due to the injuries. While the lineup has finally found a rhythm despite the injury to Josh Naylor, it was the rotation that failed to hold the team upright. The taxing of the rotation has also affected the bullpen, who have had some of their members shifted around to help fill in holes.

Plesac though isn’t the only starting pitcher set to return soon. According to Terry Francona, Shane Bieber will be re-evaluated after the All-Star break to see where he is, and Aaron Civale has already begun throwing but not with any real velocity.

If the Tribe can stay above .500 heading into the break, then the team may be able to put together a run in the second half of July and into August that should revitalize the team and fanbases hope for a playoff birth.