The Cleveland Indians will be without reliever Emmanuel Clase when their season begins, as the right-handed reliever is expected to miss 8-12 weeks with a strained upper back, according to Mandy Bell of MLB.com.

An MRI confirmed Clase sustained a moderate strain of his teres major muscle - the same injury that kept Mike Clevinger sidelined from mid-April until mid-June last year, Bell added.

The 21-year-old Clase was acquired by the Indians this offseason along with speedy outfielder Delino DeShields Jr. in exchange for two-time Cy Young winner Corey Kluber and cash considerations.

Clase made 21 appearances at the major-league level last year, authoring a 2.31 ERA and a 3.43 FIP while notching one save over 23 1/3 innings.