Zach McAllister is likely to return to the Indians' rotation Thursday, Zack Meisel of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.

McAllister is likely to return to the Indians' rotation Thursday, Zack Meisel of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.

Analysis:

McAllister threw four shutout innings in his most recent rehab start for Triple-A Columbus, and looks to be polished enough for an activation in the near future, possibly as soon as Thursday. He hasn't pitched in an MLB game since May 21 due to a lower back strain, but if his performance in the minors is any indication of what's to come, it looks as if the back pain is now behind him. The right-hander owns a shaky 5.89 ERA this season, but he did post a 3.75 ERA over 134.1 innings for the Tribe in 2013, which suggests that something wasn't quite right from a health standpoint earlier in the year.