CHICAGO — The Cleveland Guardians expect right-hander Aaron Civale to rejoin them in August after doctors confirmed he has a sprained ligament and inflammation in his pitching wrist, the team said Friday.
Civale was examined this week by Drs. Thomas Graham and Jason Genin. The team said he is responding well to an anti-inflammatory injection and is expected to resume throwing this week. Cleveland will have a better idea of his return date as he goes through his rehab program.
"They didn't find anything they didn't expect to find, which is good," manager Terry Francona said. "When they numbed it, he had really good range of motion and felt good. Then, they injected it in that spot right away."
Civale was injured throwing a curveball against the Chicago White Sox on July 13. He pitched just one inning in Cleveland's 2-1 loss at home.
Civale, who spent time earlier this season on the IL with a strained glute muscle, first felt something in his wrist after a July 2 start against the New York Yankees, and he underwent tests.
Last season, Civale was leading the AL in wins when a sprained right middle finger sidelined him for 2 1/2 months. He finished 12-5 with a 3.84 ERA in 21 starts. The 27-year-old right-hander is 2-5 with a 6.17 ERA in 12 starts this season.
The Guardians were second in the AL Central at 46-44 entering Friday's series opener against the White Sox. They trailed Minnesota by two games and were one ahead of Chicago.