CLEVELAND (AP) — The Cleveland Indians hope another trip to the minors helps Triston McKenzie eventually stick in the majors.
The Indians optioned McKenzie to Triple-A Columbus for the fourth time this season on Sunday after the right-hander failed to get out of the first inning against Seattle a day earlier.
President of baseball operations Chris Antonetti and manager Terry Francona met with McKenzie on Sunday morning.
"Like any player, we want to make sure we understand what’s going through their mind and what’s getting in their way of having the results they want," Antonetti said
McKenzie had been called up from Columbus before the game. He issued four walks, including one with the bases loaded, and retired two of the six batters he faced.
McKenzie, who began the season in the rotation, leads the AL with 39 walks. He struck out 10 in 5 1/3 innings against the Chicago White Sox, including a club-record eight in a row, on May 31 but followed that with Saturday’s short outing.
“We've seen he’s capable of pitching really successfully up here, so we know it’s possible,” Antonetti said.
McKenzie, 23, is 1-3 with a 6.38 ERA in 11 games and has struck out 59 in 42 1/3 innings. He was a first-round selection in the 2015 draft and pitched in eight games for the Indians last season.
Cleveland used seven relievers Saturday and rallied for a 5-4 win in 10 innings.
The Indians’ rotation has struggled behind Shane Bieber and Aaron Civale. Zach Plesac broke his right thumb when he angrily pulled off his shirt after a poor outing last month. He began playing catch last week, but there's no timetable for his return.
McKenzie, Logan Allen, J.C. Mejia, Sam Hentges, Cal Quantrill and Eli Morgan have been used as starters, but no one has pitched well enough to secure a rotation spot. Mejia and Quantrill will start the first two games in Cleveland's upcoming series against Baltimore. The starter for Thursday is undetermined.
“I don’t think we have any other choice but to look at it creatively,” Antonetti said. “We know we’re going to have to rely on a number of different players. It’s not gonna be able to just, ‘Hey, we’re gonna run the same five guys out there every five days.’”
Infielder Ernie Clement was called up from Columbus.
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