It has been a long journey for Mike Clevinger. After being dealt from the Cleveland Guardians to the San Diego Padres in 2020, Clevinger immediately felt pain in his elbow which led to the three most devastating words a pitcher can hear: Tommy John surgery. After missing the entire 2021 campaign, Clevinger is set to finally make his return on Tuesday. And it will be an emotional outing for Clevinger as he will face the Guardians in Cleveland.
Clevinger had good relationships with most of the players on his former team. He was friends with the pitcher set oppose him on Tuesday in Zach Plesac. It would have been fairly emotional regardless of who he faced given how much time he missed. But Cleveland was where Clevinger first made a name for himself.
The Guardians acquired Mike Clevinger from the Angels as a minor leaguer. They developed him in their minor league system and he ultimately ended up in the big league rotation. He spent 2016-2020 as a member of the Guardians before being traded to the Padres midway through the shortened 2020 season.
The right-hander commented on what it means to make his long awaited return against his former team.
“I've had that one marked on my calendar since before the season.”
He also discussed how he feels from a pitching standpoint heading into Tuesday's action.
“I'm commanding all five pitches pretty well. So I feel like I'm ready to take that next step.”
Mike Clevinger, 31, is amongst the better pitchers in baseball when at the top of his game. It might take him a few outings to get fully settled in, but there is no question that his presence in the San Diego rotation will be beneficial for the Padres.
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