What the Cleveland Indians hope for is that Trevor Bauer's recovery from his drone-repair injury doesn't necessarily follow the same timeline as most drone-repair injuries.

Which is to say they hope the right-hander will be able to pitch a professional baseball game Monday -- and a playoff game at that, Game 3 of the American League Championship Series -- with stitches on the back of his right pinkie finger. But nobody knows for sure whether this is possible, and one person who has seen the cut has his doubts: "I don't know he'll be able to pitch like that."

Bauer played catch Friday (before reporters arrived at the ballpark) and reported to the Indians that he felt OK, and that his gash -- which doesn't directly impact his touch on the baseball -- didn't affect his ability to throw or manipulate the baseball. But the wording of the Indians' news release announcing that Bauer's start in this playoff will be moved back was properly concise: Bauer is scheduled -- note the italics -- to pitch Game 3.

The long-standing rule is that pitchers are not allowed to work with any kind of foreign substance on their hands. Stitches are acceptable, as an umpire confirmed Friday, but according to the sport's regulations, there can be no Band-Aid, super glue or the goop that boxing trainers wipe on the eyebrows and eyelids of their fighters to close cuts.

If Bauer's cut opens during the game and he starts to bleed heavily on the baseballs, the umpires will be forced into a difficult situation, to assess Bauer's hand.