CLEVELAND, Ohio (92.3 The Fan) – The Indians have been hit with another major injury to a key player.
Starter Zach Plesac is being placed on the 10-day injured list with a non-displaced fracture in his right thumb manager Terry Francona said Tuesday prior to the second game of their series with the Tigers.
“He was examined during the game last night,” Francona said.
Plesac will visit Dr. Thomas Graham in Toledo Wednesday.
“We’re not going to know any more other than he is an IL [until then],” Francona said. “We will get a lot more information [Wednesday].”
The circumstances of the injury are unfortunate.
“He was, I think, probably rather aggressively ripping off his shirt and he caught it on his chair,” Francona said. “It was pretty swollen [Monday] so we sent him to get X-rays.”
Plesac becomes the third key member of the club to land on the injured list joining catcher Roberto Perez, moved to the 60-day IL Sunday with a broken finger, and DH Franmil Reyes, out 5-7 weeks with an oblique strain suffered on Sunday.
The injury leaves the Indians’ rotation shorthanded after Triston McKenzie was sent to Columbus Saturday following another rocky outing last Friday.
Cleveland will need a starter for Wednesday at Detroit, Friday at home against the Blue jays and for one of the double header games against the White Sox Monday.
“One move can obviously affect another move so we’re working through that as we speak,” Francona said.
Plesac was 4-3 with a 4.14 ERA in 10 games this season including 12 walks and 38 strikeouts.