Corey Kluber showed signs Tuesday night that he may be the type of weapon the Yankees imagined when he signed him in January, but he and the team will likely have to wait a little longer for his return.
Cy Young’s double winner posted his best start to rehab so far, in Double-A Somerset’s 6-2 win over Akron in Bridgewater, New Jersey, but it probably didn’t last long enough to justify a call-up. next turn for the Yankees. ‘rotation.
In his third start of rehab, Kluber settled in after a hard first inning against the powerful RubberDucks (a Cleveland affiliate), throwing 60 pitches over 3 ² / while innings while allowing two runs in five hits with a walk and four blows of attack.
“It will simply continue to get worse as you get back into your routine, increase your tone count and increase that pace, that mid-season form that you have to perfect after having that long period of rest,” Somerset said. ‘coach Daniel Moskos.
The two races rendered by Kluber reached the first, when he threw 22 pitches, hit a batter and dropped three ground singles that found holes.
He allowed a couple of baserunners in the second, but came out of trouble. He retired seven in a row before allowing a fourth-inning single. He had pitched 56 pitches in his last rehabilitation start, and Moskos said Tuesday’s plan was 60 to 65 pitches.
“I’ve been seeing improvements since the last time,” said Moskos, who warned he is not making call decisions. “We’re just getting our feet wet, getting things back on track.”
Kluber, who was eliminated in his first rehabilitation start (allowing five runs while recording four outings on August 12 with Somerset), showed a little more hope in his second outing (three innings, three runs with Triple-A Scranton / Wilkes- Barre).
A healthy, capable, twice-stretched Cy Young winner would be welcome to a Yankees rotation that has holes to cover.
Luis Severino, who will be returning from Tommy John surgery, is due to see Dr. Neal ElAttrache this week in California, and there is concern about whether he will pitch in the senior category this season. Domingo German (swollen shoulder) is trying to get back and is expected to make a weekend of it this weekend. Andrew Heaney has not looked like a reliable fifth starter.
The 35-year-old Kluber could be more than that.
After battling several injuries the past two seasons (including a grade 2 tear of the teres major muscle in the same right shoulder that bothered him this year), which limited him to eight games in 2019 and 20, Kluber s ‘resembled his old self for the first two months of the season.
The right-hander, who posted an ERA 3.04 in 10 starts, flirted with a non-hitter, and then finished the job in a May 19 outing against Texas.
A start later, on May 25, he was unable to let go of his right shoulder and lasted only 58 throws in an outing against the Blue Jays before being shut out with a tense shoulder. The expectation involved sitting for two months and the reality has been three, most likely a little longer.