As expected the Indians have optioned Danny Salazar back to the minors after the 23-year-old prospect made his big-league debut yesterday.
The only reason it’s worth noting is that Salazar was really, really good. He took a no-hitter into the sixth inning against the Blue Jays, retiring 15 of the first 16 batters he faced, and finished with six innings of one-run ball and a nifty 7/1 K/BB ratio.
Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer notes that Salazar had the most strikeouts by an Indians pitcher making his MLB debut since Luis Tiant in 1964. But with the All-Star break coming up and the Indians wanting to get Salazar regular work a return to the minors makes sense even if he’s pitched his way into their plans for the second half.
