Corey Kluber's Journey Back From Injuries Came Full Circle With No-Hitter in Texas

New York Yankees SP Corey Kluber threw a no-hitter against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field, the stadium where his season ended last year due to injury

Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

After Corey Kluber delivered his final pitch on Wednesday night, the stoic righthander threw his arms up in the air, smiling from ear to ear as his teammates mobbed him on the infield.

Kluber had thrown the first no-hitter of his career, the latest achievement accomplished by one of the best pitchers of this generation.

As much as Kluber's track record may have suggested this type of performance could've eventually come to fruition, there was a point not too long ago where it looked like Kluber may never recapture this type of dominance on a big-league mound again. 

In fact, that moment came to pass less than one year ago, the last time Kluber toed the rubber at Globe Life Field. 

Traded to Texas from Cleveland—where the two-time Cy Young Award winner had spent his entire career—Kluber made his Rangers debut on July 26 of last season. 

That start began with a scoreless first frame, facing three batters and striking out one. Then, Kluber didn't return to the mound for his second inning of work. He didn't pitch again for the rest of the season, sidelined with a season-ending shoulder injury.

Fresh off an injury-riddled campaign the year prior—where Kluber made only seven starts all year long for Cleveland—another season for the former ace came to a screeching halt due to injury.  

That's why Kluber's signing with the Yankees this past offseason for $11 million raised some eyebrows across the game. Could this 35-year-old stay healthy for a full season, let alone pitch at a high level? It seemed like a bit of a risky investment for New York. 

Although he started a bit slow, Kluber went on to show flashes of greatness through his first eight outings of the season. With three wins in his four starts prior to Wednesday, the righthander was beginning to establish a rhythm with his new ball club.

His performance against his former team, however, was practically perfect.

Coreybook Ending pic.twitter.com/2156vAfjWU

— New York Yankees (@Yankees) May 20, 2021

From the very first inning, Kluber was dotting corners, using all four of his pitches with effectiveness and efficiency. With a four-pitch walk to third baseman Charlie Culberson in the third inning—"inexplicably" losing command of the zone, as manager Aaron Boone called it—as his only blemish, Kluber retired 27 of the 28 batters he faced.

"What a performance. What can you say?" Boone said after the 2–0 win. "I'm just so happy for him. He's such a pro. And we're talking about a guy that's been an amazing pitcher in his career. He's got another defining and special moment."

Kluber struck out nine, getting a total of 13 whiffs on the night. Seven of those came on his patented curveball, a pitch that also netted 12 called strikes.

"It was really everything," catcher Kyle Higashioka said. "Two-seam, cutter, curveball. Curveball was really good tonight. That's probably the best I've seen it. He had the changeup going too, just mixing and being unpredictable and really executing really well. So it was great."

.@CKluber cruised to history. pic.twitter.com/9MHIqW1G4e

— MLB (@MLB) May 20, 2021

Kluber said after the game that it didn't hit him until around the sixth inning that he was flirting with history. He likened the ninth inning, however, to how he felt making his first postseason start with Cleveland in 2016, when he pitched seven scoreless innings in a 1–0 win over the Red Sox. 

You couldn't tell from his demeanor, though. As his nickname suggests, 'Klubot' robotically went about his business, handling that adrenaline by keeping the pressure on Texas' hitters through the final out. 

"It was a special night," Kluber said. "I've never been part of [a no-hitter], never witnessed one, let alone throw one. So it was just a lot of fun to be a part of."

Every no-hitter has a story behind it. For some, it's the sheer unlikelihood that an individual could pull off such a feat at this level. For others, it's a manifestation of an elite pitcher toying with big-league hitters for 27 outs.

While Kluber's injuries over the past two seasons weren't necessarily a threat to his career, he did admit that throwing a no-hitter in Texas was particularly special with his recent injuries in mind.

He said it didn't hit him until Yankees minor-league catcher Robinson Chirinos—who caught all 18 pitches of Kluber's career in Texas—congratulated him after the game. 

"It was probably cool for me personally that it happened here," Kluber said. "I hadn't thought about it until after the game. Chirinos came up to me and said, 'Congratulations, a lot better than the last time you were on the mound here.'"

Kluber may never be an ace again. Odds are he'll battle more injuries down the line. But just like Kluber did, you couldn't help but smile on Wednesday night, watching a pitcher etch his name into baseball's history books with a masterpiece in the same building that played host to the lowest low of his career less than a year ago.

That alone makes Kluber's no-hitter even more special.

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