Indians move Clevinger to bullpen for remainder of season, playoffs

The Cleveland Indians have started to assemble their starting rotation for the postseason, as manager Terry Francona confirmed Saturday that right-hander Mike Clevinger will move to the bullpen for the rest of the regular season and into the playoffs.

The Indians are likely to use a 4-man rotation in the postseason, Francona said. It will consist of American League Cy Young contender Corey Kluber, Carlos Carrasco, and Trevor Bauer, with the last spot likely going to one of Josh Tomlin, Ryan Merritt, or Danny Salazar.

Francona added that the club intends to use Clevinger "as a weapon" out of the bullpen. During the Indians' World Series run last season, the 26-year-old pitched 5 2/3 innings as a reliever, combining to a 4.76 ERA with five walks and three strikeouts.

In Clevinger's first full season as a starter in Cleveland, he performed very well down the stretch. In 2017, he's combined to a 3.13 ERA with 58 walks and 133 strikeouts (10.1 K/9) across 24 games (21 starts).