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Danny Salazar already 'couple weeks behind' Cleveland Indians pitchers because of injury

Starter Danny Salazar is already "a couple weeks behind" other Cleveland Indians pitchers because of injury.
Cleveland Indians starter Danny Salazar (31) delivers a pitch against the Kansas City Royals during the first inning at Kauffman Stadium.

CLEVELAND -- Unfortunately, for starting pitcher Dany Salazar and the Cleveland Indians, the 2018 season is starting off much the same way the 2016 and 2017 campaigns ended, with questions about his health.

For the third consecutive year, Salazar is already experiencing arm issues.

According to a medical update from the Indians, Salazar “experienced an onset of right shoulder rotator cuff inflammation in mid-January during his offseason throwing program, but has resumed throwing and is progressing well.

“Salazar is a couple weeks behind the rest of the current group of pitchers.”

An American League All-Star after the first half of the 2016 season, Salazar has been plagued by right elbow and shoulder inflammation as well as tightness and fatigue in his forearm for the better part of the last 18 months.

Because of those issues, Salazar came into spring training knowing there was a point to prove to the Indians.

“Sometimes, your body’s weird because you could be feeling like 100 percent today, and tomorrow, you don’t know how you’re going to feel,” Salazar said prior to TribeFest 2018 last month.

“There are still things I need to get better at, like maybe paying attention to the routine, what I’m doing that helps me the most and continuing to do that. Things that are really helpful to me, I’d like to put that in my routines.”

Cleveland Indians starting pitcher Danny Salazar (31) delivers in the first inning against the Minnesota Twins at Progressive Field.

Salazar began the 2016 season with a 10-3 record and 2.75 earned run average in 17 starts, but struggled after first experiencing elbow discomfort in July.

Following a return from the All-Star break and a stint on the disabled list in August, Salazar went 1-3 with a 7.44 ERA in eight starts. Over 32.2 innings of work, Salazar allowed 44 hits, 29 runs, 27 of which were earned, and seven home runs with 17 walks against 43 strikeouts.

In two World Series appearances, Salazar worked three innings, surrendering one hit and two walks, but struck out four hitters and did not allow an earned run.

Cleveland Indians starter Danny Salazar (31) throws in the fourth inning of Game 4 of the 2017 American League Division Series against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium.

Last season, Salazar was 5-6 with a 4.28 earned run average in 23 games, including 19 starts. Over 103 innings of work, Salazar allowed 94 hits, 49 earned runs, 14 home runs and 44 walks, but struck out 145 batters.

“Your routine, just paying attention to the things that worked for you and the things that don’t work for you,” Salazar said of the lessons he learned from 2017. “You want to have a really good routine, but you don’t want to have a long routine to do every day because I think that’s too much stuff to do.

“When I’m feeling good, I know I’m going to do my job. If I’m feeling healthy with only like minor soreness in my arm, which is normal in a pitcher, I can go out there and do my job.”

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