CLEVELAND — Danny Salazar is on the road to recovery.
Again.
Nearly four weeks after being placed on the 10-day Injured List with a groin strain, the Cleveland Indians right-hander will make a rehab start for the Double-A Akron RubberDucks on Monday. Salazar suffered the injury during a start against the Houston Astros on Aug. 1, which marked his first Major League appearance since the 2017 American League Division Series.
After undergoing shoulder surgery, Salazar proceeded to miss the entire 2018 season. Nevertheless, the Indians opted to bring the 29-year-old back on a one-year, $4.5 million deal for the 2019 campaign.
But after slowly building Salazar up for his early-August debut, his return was derailed by the groin injury he suffered in his first start in nearly two years. Throwing 66 pitches over the course of four innings, the former All-Star surrendered 4 hits and 2 runs in what ultimately amounted to a 7-1 Indians loss.
Thus far, the Indians have yet to provide a timetable for a potential return for Salazar, who will throw either one inning or up to 20 pitches in Akron on Monday. Should he prove capable of making a big-league return this season, he would join a Cleveland pitching staff that could also soon be adding Carlos Carrasco, Corey Kluber and Dan Otero in the weeks to come.
While Salazar made his first return in Cleveland this year as a starter, his recent injury history could make him a candidate to move to the bullpen. Between Brad Hand's recent struggles and Adam Cimber's inconsistencies, the Indians could stand to add a hard-throwing pitcher in the back of their bullpen and Salazar could very well fit that bill.