Cleveland Indians pitcher Zach Plesac has been placed on the 10-day injured list with a non-displaced fracture in his right thumb, suffered while "aggressively ripping off his shirt" that got caught on a chair at his locker, according to manager Terry Francona.

This injury leaves the Indians with only two established starting pitchers - Cy Young winner Shane Bieber and Aaron Civale. The team now needs to fill three upcoming starts: Wednesday vs Tigers, Friday vs Blue Jays, and one game in Monday's doubleheader against the White Sox.

Available pitching options include:

• Cal Quantrill (1.90 ERA in 24 relief innings)
• Sam Hentges (6.20 ERA in 20.1 innings)
• Triston McKenzie (recently optioned to AAA with 6.95 ERA)

The timing is particularly concerning as Cleveland sits just 1.5 games out of first place in the AL Central, with their offense ranking 28th in MLB. An important three-game series against the division-leading White Sox looms next week.

The Indians will need to quickly sort out their rotation issues, as their success has largely depended on strong starting pitching to overcome their offensive limitations. The team's performance when Bieber and Civale aren't pitching could prove crucial for their playoff hopes.

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