Two-time AL Cy Young Award winner Corey Kluber could be done for the season after only one inning for the Texas Rangers.
The righthander has a tear in a small muscle in his right shoulder that won't require surgery, but even in the best-case scenario in this shortened season he won't throw again for at least four weeks, which is when he will be evaluated again.
"It's a blow, there's no getting around it," said Jon Daniels, the team president and general manager.
Daniels said Monday a magnetic resonance imaging exam revealed a grade 2 tear. The 34-year-old Kluber will receive a platelet-rich plasma injection this week.
"Given the time frame here and the nature of a 60-game schedule and everything that goes with it, the timeline is not on our side," Daniels said. "We will give him his period to rest, and then if it's recovered, or the injury is healed to the point where he can begin throwing, he'll do so with the potential to possibly be ready for the end of the season."
Daniels said young lefthander Kolby Allard, who is already on the 30-man roster after nine starts as a rookie last season, will fill Kluber's spot in the rotation.
Kluber exited Sunday's home game vs. Colorado after one scoreless inning because of tightness behind his shoulder. It was his first start in the majors since May 1, 2019, when he broke his right forearm on a liner to the mound. He injured his side during rehab last summer.
The Rangers acquired Kluber in a trade from Cleveland in December, adding him to a Texas rotation with All-Star lefthander Mike Minor and hard-throwing veteran Lance Lynn.
