MLB Notebook: Kluber's injury is a big blow for the Yankees

The MLB season is 162 games. Injuries will happen, and several starting pitchers went to the sidelines this past week. We’ll discuss two of them to kick off this week’s MLB roundup.

Kluber To Miss Two Months

What a contrast for Corey Kluber. The New York Yankees pitcher went from throwing a no-hitter last week to being yanked after just three innings Tuesday. An MRI revealed a strain that will keep him off the field for up to eight weeks.

It’s a big blow for the Bronx Bombers, as Kluber posted an ERA of just 2.27 during the month of May.

Plesac Breaks His Thumb…Doing What?

We’ve got another entry to put in the "weird injuries" file courtesy of Zach Plesac. After exiting Sunday’s game against Minnesota, the Cleveland Indians hurler broke his thumb while, according to manager Terry Francona, "rather aggressively taking off his undershirt.”

Plesac won’t need surgery, but he is expected to miss several weeks.

The Mets Are In…First?

The more I look at the NL East standings, the more dumbfounded I am. The New York Mets rank dead last in the National League with 143 runs scored (barely over three per game). As a unit, the team is hitting just .225, and has recorded 56 more strikeouts (360) than hits (304). However, the Mets haven’t just held first place in their division. They’re the only team in the group of five with a winning record.

Furthermore, it’s not like we’re only a few games into the season. A quarter of the year has come and gone, and thanks to stellar pitching and, let’s be honest, a fair amount of luck, the Mets are in a far better position than most clubs.

Joe West Sets a New Record

Finally, congratulations are in order for umpire Joe West, who worked his 5,376th Major League Baseball game to set a new record. The mark he smashed belonged to legendary official Bill Klem, who had held it for 80 years following his retirement in 1941.

West is no stranger to public attention (the guy recorded a country music album, for goodness sake), but doing anything 5,376 times is no small feat, and it’s nice to have an umpire in the news for reasons other than blown calls.