Corey Kluber may end up pitching only one inning in his first season with the Texas Rangers, as the shoulder injury the right-hander suffered on Sunday is reportedly significant.
Kluber was pulled after the first inning of his start against the Colorado Rockies with what was described as shoulder tightness. According to Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News, an MRI revealed a torn muscle in Kluber’s throwing shoulder. The two-time Cy Young Award winner could be out for the season and likely will not start again if he is able to return.
Corey Kluber has a Grade 2 tear of teres major muscle in shoulder. He will be shut down for 4 weeks before being re-evaluated. If – big if – he returns this year, it would likely be as a reliever.
— Evan Grant (@Evan_P_Grant) July 27, 2020
Kluber threw just 18 pitches, walking one and striking out one while allowing no hits. He said he felt the issue in his shoulder on the first few pitches and it got progressively worse as the inning progressed.
Losing Kluber is obviously a huge blow to the Rangers, as the 34-year-old was their biggest acquisition of the offseason and was expected to anchor the starting rotation. He is not the only Cy Young winner who suffered a significant injury in his first start of the shortened season.
