Pinkie swear: Bauer insists cut ‘non-issue’

TORONTO — Trevor Bauer took the podium at Rogers Centre on Sunday afternoon, sitting alongside the party responsible for the laceration on his pitching hand. On the table to the right of the Indians starter was the drone that he designed and built, and the one that cut open his right pinkie finger a few days ago.

“I brought my friend to answer any questions about what happened,” Bauer said.

• ALCS Game 3: Monday at 8 p.m. ET on TBS/Sportsnet/RDS

On the eve of Bauer’s Game 3 start against the Blue Jays in the American League Championship Series, laughter overtook the interview room. Injecting some humor into an embarrassing situation was the hope for Bauer, who intends to take the ball Monday night in Toronto with the Indians holding a 2-0 series edge. He does not expect his stitched-up finger to interfere with his ability to pitch, either.

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There have been a lot of people shaking their heads and chuckling over the past 48 hours, considering the unique nature of Bauer’s injury, which was the most Bauer injury ever. Late Thursday night, the pitcher was working on his drone and had his right hand positioned over the machine, as he turned it on. Three of the four propellers spun slower, while the fourth went “max throttle,” as Bauer phrased it.

The drone jumped and the propellor sliced the top of the pitcher’s pinkie finger. He caught a cab, headed to the emergency room, received 10 stitches and informed the Indians of what happened. That chain of events led to Josh Tomlin starting in Game 2 in Bauer’s place Saturday, and Bauer having his start pushed back two days to allow the finger more time to heal.

Since the injury was not serious, Bauer’s teammates were able to laugh off the incident.

“If he hasn’t gotten a bunch of grief about it, he probably will,” ace Corey Kluber said. “If he would’ve been doing something that he wasn’t supposed to be doing, it probably would’ve been hard to live with. It was something that was completely innocent. He was doing what his hobby is outside of baseball. You can’t really fault him for that.”

Kluber plays golf. Tomlin likes to hunt. Bauer …

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