Danny Salazar Likely Out for Rest of Regular Season

Cleveland Indians starting pitcher Danny Salazar is likely out for the remainder of the regular season, putting his postseason availability into question.

The Cleveland Indians are in a great spot with just 20 games left in the regular season. The Indians are owners of a seven-game lead over the Detroit Tigers and are one game back of the Texas Rangers for the best record in the American League.

This is a reason for fans to be happy, but some bad news came out this afternoon, regarding starting pitcher Danny Salazar.

That is terrible news for Salazar, who left Friday night’s game in what was described as a precautionary measure due to forearm soreness. It seemed like a bad omen at the time, and this news from the team confirmed fans’ worst fears.

That time frame to return means Salazar will be out for at least the rest of the regular season, given the team doesn’t try to rush him back, and may potentially keep him out of postseason play.

Salazar was having a fantastic season up until the end of July. He had an 11-3 record with a 2.75 ERA after his July 19 start, when he went 6 2/3 innings and struck out seven. The next month saw him have a stint on the DL, along with four consecutive starts of four innings or less.

Things began to look up when he struck out 10 Texas Rangers on August 28, followed by 11 Miami Marlins on September 4, but the early exit in his most recent start showed he may have never been at full health since returning from the DL.

Josh Tomlin is now set to replace Salazar in the rotation after being replaced himself. That spot in the rotation only has four starts remaining this season, but a pitcher like Ryan Merritt, who was recently called up, could easily fill that role if Tomlin continues to struggle with allowing home runs.

It is unfortunate the Indians have to deal with an injury to a great player during the team’s best season since 2007, but it is better to keep Salazar healthy for the future than to rush him back and potentially ruin his career. So even if the Indians make the playoffs and advance to the ALCS, it may be wise to keep Salazar out, depending on how his recovery is going up to that point.

Next: Indians vs. White Sox: Series Preview

Talking any more about potential playoff games is a recipe for a jinx, so for now fans must focus on the pitchers taking the mound each day, trusting that the Indians’ medical staff will properly prepare Salazar for a potential return in October.