CLEVELAND -- The Indians were informed on Tuesday that the team will reach Major League Baseball’s 85 percent vaccination threshold on Wednesday.

Clubs were informed just before Opening Day that MLB and the MLBPA have agreed to relax certain health and safety protocols contained in the 2021 Operations Manual for fully vaccinated Tier 1 Individuals (players, coaches, managers and those in direct contact with those people) and for clubs where 85% of their Tier 1 Individuals are fully vaccinated. As part of that memo, players and staff were again strongly encouraged to receive one of the approved COVID-19 vaccines when eligible.

“There's a number of 'easements' -- is that the right word? It's probably a realty term, but I think you get my point,” manager Terry Francona joked. “You can back off wearing a mask in the dugout. Guys can play cards on the plane as long as they have a mask on. They can eat indoors. It's helpful to guys getting some sense of normalcy back.”

Rotation plans after the rainout

Because of Sunday’s washout against the Reds, a game that has been rescheduled for Aug. 9 at 6:10 p.m. ET, Sam Hentges will now get the ball on Wednesday. That allows the team to give Triston McKenzie, who pitched 33 1/3 innings in 2020 after missing two years due to injuries, an extra day of rest by pushing his start back to Saturday.

“It doesn't move Hentges back too much, it gives everybody an extra day, doesn't give everybody too many extra days,” Francona said. “But it buys Triston an extra day as we're trying to maybe work that into his schedule anyway.”

Pérez plans to stick around

After undergoing surgery to repair the fractured ring finger in his right hand last week, backstop Roberto Pérez returned to Cleveland on Sunday. He informed the club that although he’ll be missing eight to 10 weeks while recovering, he’s hoping to be able to stay around the team.

“He let us know right away that he wanted to [be with us],” Francona said. “I know he's not going on [the upcoming road] trip. We need to look. The rules are a little ambiguous about what you can do. Now that it's changing a little for vaccinated people, we're trying to check into that to see what we can do.”

While Pérez is out of action, Austin Hedges will handle the bulk of the duties behind the plate. The Indians were adamant about signing him for the 2021 season for this very reason. Hedges is known to be an exceptional on defense, just like Pérez, which is something the Indians value greatly, especially to help a young rotation navigate the season.

Hedges said he’s even learned more in his short time in Cleveland from playing alongside Pérez.

“I mean, I’ve got the utmost respect for that guy,” Hedges said. “I’ve already learned so much from him in the little time last year and this year. ... He just wants to win. He was like, ‘Hey, man, I just want to win ballgames.’ It’s not about him. It’s about the team, and I take that same mindset and just know that we’re going to get beat up and things are going to happen, but as long as we can help the team win and help the pitching staff get through nine innings, then we’re doing our job. So once again, utmost respect for him.”