CLEVELAND - Indians ace Corey Kluber has been shut down for two weeks with an abdominal strain, an injury he sustained during his comeback from a broken arm.
Kluber was pulled from a minor league start for Triple-A Columbus at Charlotte on Sunday after one inning because of abdominal tightness. He returned to Cleveland and the team said imaging tests confirmed the strain.
The Indians said Tuesday the two-time Cy Young winner will not throw for two weeks before he's re-examined and a plan is formulated. The righthander hopes to be part of Cleveland's playoff push.
Kluber hasn't pitched since May 1 when he was struck by a line drive at Miami and fractured his ulna.
Kluber went 20-7 during the 2018 regular season, but he struggled in the playoffs for the second straight year.
With Kluber sidelined, Carlos Carrasco on the injured list after being diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia — he is slated to appear in a rehab outing on Thursday — and Trevor Bauer dealt to Cincinnati, the Indians' rotation has been manned by Shane Bieber, Mike Clevinger, Zach Plesac, Aaron Civale and Adam Plutko.
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