CLEVELAND, Ohio — After an injury-plagued campaign in 2019, and the departure of mainstays Corey Kluber and Trevor Bauer, Indians righty Mike Clevinger was set to take over as the club’s ace heading into spring training. However, Clevinger’s spring is all but over before it could begin as the club announced he will require surgery on a left knee injury suffered earlier this week.
The 29-year-old starter, who missed more than two months last season with a strained muscle in his right upper back and an ankle sprain, is set to undergo arthroscopic surgery Friday to repair a partially-torn meniscus in his left knee, according to the team. Clevinger sustained the injury Wednesday while training at the team’s development complex in Goodyear, Arizona.
The surgery will be performed by Dr. Tim Kremcheck in Avondale, Ariz. The Indians announced after the surgery that Clevinger was expected to rejoin the big-league rotation in six to eight weeks.
In 2019, Clevinger departed his April 7 start against Chicago after with a sore muscle in his back. He was later diagnosed with a strain of the Teres major muscle and considered season-ending surgery, but opted to rehab the injury instead. The Florida native returned in mid-June to start a game in Texas, but went back on the injured list with an ankle sprain suffered in the second inning of that start.
Despite the injuries, Clevinger rebounded to post a 13-4 record with a 2.71 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 169 strikeouts in 126 innings. MLB Network recently ranked him as the No. 8 starting pitcher in baseball heading into the 2020 season.
Clevinger’s injury ostensibly opens the door for right-hander Adam Plutko to earn a spot on the opening day roster. Plutko, 28, is out of minor-league options. He went 7-5 in 20 starts last season with a 4.86 ERA and 78 strikeouts.
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