McAllister getting more work in Minors before activation

BALTIMORE — The Indians want Zach McAllister to feel more like himself on the mound before throwing him right back into the bullpen. That is why McAllister remains on a Minor League rehab assignment with Triple-A Columbus, even though he was eligible for activation on Friday.

Prior to Saturday’s game against the Orioles, Indians manager Terry Francona said that McAllister — on the 15-day disabled list with a right hip issue — was scheduled to pitch again for Columbus on Monday. Following that outing, Francona and pitching coach Mickey Callaway will discuss the next steps in the right-hander’s comeback.

“He said he feels really good,” Francona said. “Part of it is now, ‘OK, you have the opportunity [to let him pitch on a rehab assignment], because this happened.’ So, let’s try to get him feeling as good as we can so when we get him back, it’ll nice to kind of get him back in that role where he’s that guy that’s pitching later in games. That’s part of the goal here, and he understands that.”

McAllister opened the year as Cleveland’s primary seventh-inning arm, but he turned in a 5.40 ERA with 28 strikeouts and 15 walks in 30 appearances (26 2/3 innings). Prior to being shelved on July 7, McAllister had a 9.24 ERA and .963 opponents’ OPS in his previous 13 games (12 2/3 innings), including seven runs allowed between his two most recent outings on July 2 and 6.

Before that 13-game stretch, McAllister posted a 1.93 ERA …

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