CLEVELAND — After a season full of bad luck and freak injuries, the Tribe announced some good news Monday—that starting pitcher Zach Plesac will pitch on Thursday against the Kansas City Royals, returning from injury after breaking his thumb in May.
Manager Terry Francona announced that Plesac, who has been rehabbing with the Akron RubberDucks, will throw a bullpen session Monday and then come Thursday will pitch for the Tribe for about 60 pitches.
"Obviously it's a little bit of an abbreviated start because of where he is," Francona said.
After ramping him up in the mound Thursday, Plesac will head to Arizona during the All-Star break to do a simulation game to take him up to about 75 pitches.
Francona said the plan is then to have Plesac return to the Tribe following the break and pitch against the Oakland Athletics on Sunday, July 18 for around 85 pitches.
Plesac fractured his thumb in May while aggressively taking off his undershirt following a game and the shirt got caught on a chair.
The return of Plesac is great news for the Tribe as the team has been working to manage the slew of injuries that has decimated the roster and pitching rotation, including injuries to Roberto Pérez, Aaron Civale and Shane Bieber.
Francona also had good news about Bieber, who is dealing with a shoulder injury, and said that he is "doing really well" and that "putting a ball in his hand is probably not in the too distant future," possibly around a week to 10 days out, depending on word from the medical staff.
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