Tribe feels sticking by Tomlin best approach

CLEVELAND — The results in the box scores have not matched what the Indians have seen from Josh Tomlin over the past month. They see a fastball in its usual velocity range, similar movement on all his pitches and nothing to indicate that the right-hander is fighting fatigue.

Those factors have helped convince Cleveland that the best approach to Tomlin’s recent struggles is to stick by him, rather than put him in the bullpen or give someone else a shot at his rotation job. So when the Indians host the Twins on Tuesday, Tomlin will be back on the mound for the Tribe, continuing his search for what worked so well in the first half.

“If what we’re seeing aligns with the numbers and the feedback from Josh himself,” Indians pitching coach Mickey Callaway said, “and if it all indicates that, ‘Man, maybe he needs a break. Maybe he doesn’t need to be starting,’ then we’d do it. That’s just not the case right now. All the other factors and indicators are saying he should be in the rotation.

“The results just haven’t been there. You just have to weather the storm. If you took everybody out of the rotation when they struggled four or five times in a row, you wouldn’t have a rotation. You’d be starting a guy from A-ball.”

On the season, Tomlin has gone 11-8 with a 4.70 ERA in 24 starts for the Indians, but the righty has lost seven of his past nine outings with a 7.51 ERA …

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