Bauer to face Chicago Cubs in Game 2, but for how long?
Taking the podium at Progressive Field on Tuesday, Cleveland Indians manager Terry Francona was asked about the spate of injuries that hit his ballclub this season.
"We don't have enough time," Francona deadpanned.
To be honest, most major-league teams would be dead in the water after losing key contributors such as Michael Brantley, Danny Salazar, Carlos Carrasco and Yan Gomes. And don't forget about outfielder Marlon Byrd, who was suspended for 162 games on June 1 after testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance for the second time in his career.
The Indians not only absorbed those losses, they won the AL Central by 8 games and rolled through the American League division series and championship series with only 1 loss.
"I've been associated with teams where injuries have kind of overwhelmed the season, and it's not from a lack of trying," Francona said. "It's just you couldn't pull it off. We've been fortunate enough this year where when things happened, we had other guys that either stepped in full time, part time, and the idea is you've got 25 players, you've got to score a certain amount of runs, you've got to hold the team to a certain amount of runs."
Cleveland has patched together a roster good enough to make it to the World Series, but the injury bug is still a concern.
In Game 2 on Wednesday night, Trevor Bauer takes the mound for the Indians opposite the Cubs' Jake Arrieta.
How long Bauer lasts is the big concern for the Indians.
Before his Game 3 start against Toronto in the ALCS, Bauer sliced up his right pinkie while trying to repair a drone. The right-hander didn't make it out of the first inning after blood began gushing out of the finger.
That was on Oct. 17. Bauer threw 20 pitches during batting practice Monday with no problems and apparently is ready to face the Cubs.
"It feels fine," Bauer said. "I threw a sim game (Monday), threw with max intent, just like in a game, as close to game intensity as I could possibly get to. There's no pain, no blood. I was able to execute all my pitches to a high level, and I'm really encouraged by it."
Even when healthy and at his best, Bauer was the Indians' No. 4 starter this season behind Corey Kluber and the injured Salazar and Carrasco. After going 5-5 with a 5.36 ERA in the second half of the season, Bauer appears to be in big trouble against a potent Cubs lineup.
As for Arrieta, he has struggled in the postseason, going 0-1 with a 4.91 ERA in 2 starts.
A dominant outing in the World Series would erase Arrieta's less-than-stellar showings against the Giants and the Dodgers.
"This is why you play the whole season, to hopefully be in this position to be one of the last two teams standing with an opportunity to win a World Series for your organization, your city, for your team, friends and family," Arrieta said. "It means a ton.
"You know, there's only two of 30 (teams) that even get these opportunities. We worked extremely hard to get to this point and now we're in a spot where we want to enjoy it as much as we can."