Top 10 MLB players benefiting from hiatus
Mike Clevinger (Career: 11.0 fWAR | 12.6 bWAR)
After the Cleveland Indians traded away their 2018 AL Cy Young award candidate in Trevor Bauer to the Cincinnati Reds last season, and then 2x AL Young Award winner Corey Kluber this offseason, the Tribe were putting all their eggs in Mike Clevinger and Shane Bieber‘s basket.
Then, Spring Training kicked off to a bad start for Clevinger after it was announced that the righty underwent surgery to repair a partial tear of the medial meniscus in his left knee. This injury has a return date of 6-8 weeks according to Indians beat reporter Mandy Bell.
Now, at the time that the surgery was announced, 6-8 weeks would have Clevinger returning sometime in mid-April, after Opening Day. However, with the coronavirus throwing a wrench in the works, it’s looking like Clevinger will be ready whenever the season starts.
That’s good news for the Indians, who were looking already looking at a potentially bad 2020 season. At the very least, fans will have the opportunity to watch the man with the luscious locks hurling fastballs in the mid-to-high 90s from for an entire season this year.
Now, if the team can somehow prove to ownership that they can compete, they might help Francisco Lindor‘s chances of staying in Cleveland. Fans can only hope.