Cleveland Guardians

Indians working out rotation issues

Published Jun. 8, 2016 3:22 a.m. ET

foxsports

SEATTLE -- Taijuan Walker has provided plenty of insight but very few excuses during his freefall from an amazing April that saw him go 2-0 with a 1.33 ERA.

The Seattle Mariners' 23-year-old starting pitcher has gone 0-6 with a 7.86 ERA in seven starts since then.

"I have to figure it out," Walker told reporters after his last start, a 7-3 loss to Texas. "It's just being intense and really going out there and going right after them with conviction. I have to get after it from pitch one."

The Mariners hope that Walker has that kind of intensity when he takes the mound for Wednesday's game against surging Cleveland. The Indians streaked to six consecutive wins before Seattle starter Wade Miley finally ended their streak with seven shutout innings on Tuesday night.

It was the third consecutive quality start for a Seattle rotation that struggled over the first few days of June.

"Just try to keep the tank rolling," Miley said after beating the Indians 7-1 Tuesday.

The Indians (32-24) have their own rotation issues after using Triple-A call-up Cody Anderson in a spot start Tuesday. The plan is for Danny Salazar to return to his turn in the rotation next week after he took a start off to rest a sore shoulder, but things have been in a state of flux during the Seattle series.

Carlos Carrasco moved back one day to pitch Wednesday's game. It will mark his second start since coming off the disabled list.

The Indians could only have one healthy catcher for the game, although designated hitter Carlos Santana has played there as recently as 2014. Yan Gomes, who has started 42 of the Indians' 57 games this season, suffered a testicular contusion after taking a foul tip to the groin Tuesday night. He was taken to a local hospital and was scheduled to undergo an ultrasound, although manager Terry Francona did not know his status as of late Tuesday.

"I don't think he's probably having the best night of his life," Francona said.