DALLAS - Rangers starting pitcher Corey Kluber is out a minimum of four weeks after suffering a tear in his throwing shoulder, the club announced Monday.
Kluber, 34, will be placed in the injured list after an MRI revealed a grade 2 tear of the teres major muscle in the back of his right shoulder.
"The timeline is not on our side," Rangers general manager Jon Daniels said of Kluber's chances of returning, via Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News."We will give it time and if it is healed we will give it a chance to see if it is ready for the end of the season."
Daniels added that should Kluber be able to return this season he'd likely have to pitch out of the bullpen.
The right-hander left his start Sunday with shoulder tightness after throwing just one inning in his Rangers debut.
The club will now turn to Kolby Allard to fill the vacant spot in the rotation, Daniels said. Texas won't have to do that anytime soon, however, as they have four off days in the first three weeks of the season.
The Rangers were planning to skip Jordan Lyles' (their No. 5 starter) spot in the rotation to start the year but he'll now be asked to step in for Kluber.