Corey Kluber could rejoin Cleveland Indians rotation next week

Corey Kluber hasn't pitched since August 29, due to a strained right hamstring, which he suffered while running during conditioning drills before a game in Toronto before his next scheduled start. Kluber stayed in Cleveland to rehab the injury during the team's recent road trip, and has successfully completed some agility tests and a long-toss session with pitching coach Mickey Callaway.

Next up, Kluber is scheduled to throw a bullpen session this afternoon, and could return to the rotation next week, if trainers clear him after checking in on Saturday.

While Kluber's 8-13 record isn't pretty, and his 3.41 ERA is almost a full run higher than it was when he won the CY Young in 2014, his strikeout and walk rates are almost identical to what they were then, and he was leading all American League starters in fWAR at the time of his last appearance.

With the Indians having climbed to only a game below .500 and only 4 games behind the second Wild Card spot, there's still something to play for this season, and getting one of the best pitchers in baseball back for another four starts could make a difference, but of course the team doesn't want to rush him back and risk re-aggravating the injury and potentially making it worse, and so some caution is understandable. There are those who would argue for Kluber just to be shut down, but if the team's medical staff thinks he's good to go, I want him on the field.