Indians ace Corey Kluber pitches 3 innings in rehab start

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Cleveland Indians ace Corey Kluber pitched three innings in a minor league rehab start on Thursday, the most significant outing since a line drive broke his right forearm three months ago.

Kluber, who was hit May 1 in Miami, allowed two home runs and threw 41 pitches for Triple-A Columbus in a game against Pawtucket. He struck out two, walked one and retired the final five batters he faced.

The two-time Cy Young winner remains hopeful he can return to Cleveland’s rotation this season.

“I felt good,” Kluber said. “I haven’t run into anything out of the ordinary yet. That’s encouraging.”

The right-hander threw another 14 pitches in the bullpen after he was pulled from the game. The 33-year-old expected some rustiness and felt it.

“There’s a progression you have to go through when you’ve been down for a while,” he said. “This is another step in that progression, but it’s also the last step so to speak. You can see the light at the end of the tunnel. It’s fun to get out there and compete.”

Kluber’s next scheduled start is Tuesday for Columbus.