Cleveland entertaining possibility of starting Corey Kluber on short rest

The Cleveland Indians are still trying to figure out how to handle their starting pitcher shortage, and the solution may be to simply ride their horse as far as he will take them.

Manager Terry Francona admitted Saturday that he is going day-by-day on his rotation, and that may involve starting ace Corey Kluber on short rest in Game 4.

“We’ve talked about not just Game 4, but Games 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7, because there’s a little ambiguity there with Trevor and his finger and Clevinger not being stretched out,” Francona said, via ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick. “So I think there are some options for us moving forward.

“The one thing we don’t want is to make a decision that we think puts our team in a good spot if the pitchers don’t feel that way. So we’ll keep communicating with them, and we’ll do what we think is in our best interest. But it can’t just be for one game, because there’s always a trickle-down effect.”

Cleveland floated the three-man rotation possibility before the season even ended thanks to a barrage of injuries. Given how well Kluber is pitching, it makes sense to throw him as much as they possibly can.