Cleveland Guardians right-hander Triston McKenzie will continue rehab on his right elbow injury over the next three weeks, according to manager Terry Francona.
McKenzie was already shut down for more than two weeks after being diagnosed with a partially torn right UCL last month.
According to Francona, McKenzie will attempt to rehab the injury over the three-week period - even describing the process as “non-surgical” in regards to the possibility of Tommy John surgery - with the hope that the 25-year-old can return to the rotation at some point this season.
“He feels real good now about the direction he wants to go,” Francona explained prior to Monday’s Guardians game against the visiting Atlanta Braves. “What he’ll do is he’ll take the next three weeks [to] continue his rehab and therapy, and then that puts him at the six-week mark, and he’ll pick up a baseball. Generally, if things go well, the amount of time you’re down is usually what it takes to get back…But it would give him a chance to pitch for us this year, and I think that’s important. I think everyone thinks that’s important, so that he doesn’t go into the offseason not knowing.”
In a pair of starts this season, McKenzie is 0-1 with a 4.50 earned run average. He posted an 11-11 record with a 2.96 ERA in 31 appearances last season.
