San Diego Padres right-handed starting pitcher Mike Clevinger missed the entire 2021 MLB season after needing Tommy John surgery in the fall of 2020 but was expected to make his big-league return against a familiar club on Tuesday.
Clevinger will have to wait at least one more day for what’s bound to be an emotional experience.
As noted by The Associated Press (h/t ESPN), Tuesday’s matchup between the Padres and Cleveland Guardians scheduled to occur in downtown Cleveland was postponed due to rain and wet conditions in the area. Those two teams will now face off in a traditional doubleheader on Wednesday afternoon, and Clevinger is set to get the ball for the opener.
Clevinger pitched for the Guardians from 2016 through the summer of 2020, but both he and Zach Plesac landed in hot water for a reported violation of the league’s COVID-19 health and safety protocols during the pandemic-shortened season. Cleveland eventually welcomed Clevinger back to the rotation but then traded him to San Diego on Aug. 31 of that year.
Somewhat ironically, Plesac is on track to start for the Guardians against Clevinger on Wednesday. The Padres will begin that contest at 15-8, while Cleveland will enter the day at 10-12.
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