Battenfield (shoulder) covered 4.1 innings in his rehab start Tuesday for Triple-A Columbus, striking out six while allowing three earned runs on five hits and three walks.
The start was the third of Battenfield's rehab assignment and his first at Columbus after the previous two came with Double-A Akron. Though he's had issues with walks in two of his three rehab outings, Battenfield has reached the fifth inning in both of his last two starts, and he built up to 79 pitches Tuesday. With Shane Bieber (elbow) joining Cal Quantrill (shoulder) on the injured list coming out of the All-Star break, Battenfield could be an option to join the big club when Cleveland next requires a fifth starter, either Sunday versus the Phillies or early next week against the Royals.