KANSAS CITY -- The Indians will be short a layer of pitching depth for the next few weeks.
On Wednesday, Tribe manager Terry Francona noted that Triple-A Columbus starter Cody Anderson -- Cleveland's No. 4 starter to open this season -- will likely miss three to four weeks due to inflammation in his right elbow. Anderson will be shut down from throwing for 10 days before potentially being cleared to resume a throwing program.
"They had him examined pretty thoroughly the other day," Francona said prior to Wednesday's game against the Royals. "Losing a guy for three or four weeks isn't what you're looking for, but it's a heck of a lot better than [the alternative]."
Anderson, 25, lasted only 3 2/3 innings in his most recent outing on Sunday against Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, allowing seven runs on seven hits, including a pair of home runs by former Indian Nick Swisher. During a six-run fourth inning, Anderson "probably tried to reach back for more," according to Francona.
Francona added that no structural damage was found in Anderson's elbow and the pitcher was given anti-inflammatory medication. The manager also noted that the big righty dealt with a similar issue during his 2014 Minor League season and returned with no issues after a rest period.
"He's gone through this before," Francona said. "Rather than push it, we'll let him have 10 days of rest and then let him come back. ... I don't think it's something that's been bothering him [until Sunday]."
In nine Major League games this season, Anderson went 1-4 with a 7.48 ERA. He went 7-3 with a 3.05 ERA in 15 starts for Cleveland in 2015, helping put him in position to win a spot in the rotation this past spring. In four starts back at Triple-A, Anderson is 0-1 with a 5.12 ERA for the Clippers.