Adam Plutko is back. The Cleveland Indians called up the pitcher on Wednesday afternoon while placing star reliever Andrew Miller on the disabled list. Plutko made his major league debut last season, so he has some experience with the big league club. He may not be able to make the impact that will be expected of him now, however, as the Indians press forward in a pennant race with two months remaining this season.
Indians' injuries
The primary transaction for Cleveland on Wednesday was placing Miller on the 10-day disabled list. He has patella tendinitis in his right knee.
He has had yet another amazing season, but one of the American League's leaders in holds could use some time off -- in two of his past six appearances, the relief ace has blown a save. One of those came during Tuesday night's entertaining offensive battle with the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park, an eventual 12-10 loss for the Indians.
Miller isn't the only pitcher the Indians need to be concerned about. Starter Josh Tomlin left his start on Sunday with left hamstring tightness. According to MLB.com's Jordan Bastian, an MRI confirmed that it's a hamstring tendon strain, an injury that could keep him out for at least six weeks. Suddenly, Cleveland will be without one of their starting pitchers, possibly for the rest of the regular season.
Plutko married to Cleveland
Plutko has spent the entire season pitching in the minors. He made two appearances with the Indians last season, posting a troublesome 7.36 ERA during his brief stint with the club. He became more well-known for the anecdote related to his September call-up, learning about it while attending the wedding of one of his best friends.
There was plenty of cause for celebration then; the excitement died down when the results didn't follow on the field.
The 25-year old was drafted by the Indians in the 11th round of the 2013 MLB Draft. He earned a spring training invite in 2016, but spent most of the season with the Triple-A Columbus Clippers before getting his big league chance in September.
This season, Plutko has been abysmal at the Triple-A level, posting a 6.71 ERA in 19 appearances with the team. All of his rates are among the worst in his minor league career, from the lack of strikeouts to the prolific rate of walks and hits. Cleveland has a two-game lead in the AL Central right now, but replacing Miller with Plutko -- a starter, mind you -- could be a dangerous proposition.
