Indians' Tomlin ready to start rehab assignment
Josh Tomlin is ready to take the next step in his road back to the big leagues.
The right-hander, who is working his way back from right shoulder surgery, will pitch three to four innings in a minor-league rehab start for Double-A Akron Friday.
Tomlin threw two innings for the Tribe's Arizona Rookie League club in Goodyear on Sunday, allowing two runs on three hits.
"It went good," Tomlin told Cleveland.com. "The fastball and cutter were where I wanted it. It was the same with the change up and curveball. I didn't walk anybody, threw strikes and felt better in the second inning than I did in the first.
"That was the main thing. I wanted to get those two innings in and see how I recovered."
Manager Terry Francona said he doesn't yet have a timetable for Tomlin's potential return to the major-league club.
"[Friday] officially starts it so it'll be kind of like a Spring Training for him," Francona told reporters Thursday. "I think as he gets back into pitching shape, I think we're finally going to get to see that guy, I hope. Now, is it the end of this month, or the beginning of next month, is it next year? We'll see. But I know he feels good and we miss having him. When he's around, he's one of the best teammates I've ever seen and I've been fortunate to be around a lot of good guys."
Cleveland's starting rotation has pitched extremely well this season, so it's hard to see Tomlin in a starting role once he's fully healthy, barring any injuries to other pitchers. However, Francona isn't ruling anything out.
"I think we could do anything with him, really," Francona said. "A lot of it will depend on how he's feeling. If he's throwing strikes, he could help in a number of ways. We saw him when he's sharp and good, man, he can do it."
(h/t Cleveland.com, MLB.com)
