The Cleveland Indians have a problem on their hands and a lot of choices to make. Starting pitchers Mike Clevinger and Zach Plesac stirred up a heaping bowl of beef with other members of the clubhouse when they broke protocol by going out of their hotel room in Chicago on Aug. 7.
According to ESPN's Jeff Passan, at least one player said during a Friday meeting that he would opt out of the 2020 MLB season if both pitchers remained on the active roster after being optioned to the minors.
Clevinger and Plesac's inconsiderate choices have more than riled up a few of their teammates. The two were optioned to Cleveland's alternate site and will spend at least 10 days away from the Indians.
The two pitchers have since apologized for their behavior and lack of awareness of their actions. Some teammates accepted those apologies and wished they would remain on the roster, but the anger over their actions was likely to lead to the demotions.
Plesac, 25, had said he and Clevinger were wrongly portrayed as “bad people” for their actions during a six-minute since-deleted Instagram post. Plesac had gone out for dinner with Clevinger and some of his friends after giving the Indians a win over the White Sox earlier in the day. Once MLB was made aware of Plesac's whereabouts, the club sent a ride for the young pitcher, so that he wouldn't come in contact with others.
Clevinger didn't tell the team he was with Plesac and flew home with the team, possibly risking the infection of his many teammates.
Some within the Indians' clubhouse believed Clevinger was not truthful about his involvement before he boarded the team plane on Aug. 9. Plesac had already been caught trying to return to the hotel early on the morning of Aug. 8, snatched away in a team-owned vehicle and sent back to Cleveland.
Oliver Perez, a 39-year-old reliever, said he would leave the team if Clevinger and Plesac returned to the roster in Detroit. Others felt similarly, and star shortstop Francisco Lindor was outspoken during the meeting.
Pitcher Carlos Carrasco, who was treated for leukemia last year, was also potentially exposed to the virus, which also frustrated the team. Indians pitcher Adam Plutko, who will fill in for the since-demoted Clevinger and Plesac, said this last week:
“They hurt us bad,” said Plutko. “They lied to us. They sat here, in front of you guys, and said things publicly that they didn't follow through on. It's gonna be up to them. It really is.”
This has created a clear rift between those who think the two young pitchers should return to the team, and those who believe they should be further castigated for their actions.
Taking away Plesac and Clevinger — two pitchers who are off to great starts — could put the 13-9 Indians in a great deal of trouble in this shortened season. Yet the risk of letting this go as a minor infraction would send the wrong message to the clubhouse and the league, which has been struggling to keep COVID-19 cases down after myriad postponed games through the early stretch.
Follow Us
Subscribe