CLEVELAND _ The Indians on Tuesday placed pitcher Josh Tomlin on the 10-day disabled list with a strained right hamstring and recalled Adam Plutko from Triple-A Columbus.
Just about everything has gone wrong for Tomlin this season. Among pitchers who have thrown at least 40 innings, Tomlin's 3.86 HR/9 rate is the worst in the majors, and his 6.98 ERA is third worst. Only three pitchers have given up more home runs than Tomlin's 21, though all three have also logged at least twice as many innings.
Indians manager Terry Francona said after Monday's game, in which Tomlin allowed a two-run home run that ended up being the difference in a 7-5 loss to the Cincinnati Reds, that he felt Tomlin was "fighting some stuff."
"When we finally corralled him and got him to kind of own up to his hammy was bothering him," Francona said Tuesday. "You know, watching him, I'm kind of kicking myself a little bit because I knew something wasn't right. On the one hand, you appreciate guys who'll to go out there. But it just was getting in the way."
The amount of respect Tomlin's peers have for him is well known. Francona has called him one of the best teammates he's ever been around during his time in baseball on multiple occasions and raves about his willingness to do whatever the team needs every chance he gets.
Tomlin is a valued member of the clubhouse and the longest-tenured Indians player, which does perhaps carry some value and warrant some lenience.
But on the mound, Tomlin can't find any answers, and the questions are mounting.
"Personally, it's very frustrating mentally, because you're not helping the team or doing anything to produce or help benefit this team going forward," Tomlin said Monday night. "When you're put in spots like that and you keep failing at them, it's frustrating as a whole, just for that reason.
"I've never put personal goals on anything. I never will, just for the simple fact of we're here to try to do one thing and that's win a World Series. If you're not doing your personal thing to try to help the team do that, it's frustrating, no matter who you are or where you're at in your career."
