Lewis gave up four runs on seven hits in 4 1/3 innings against the Blue Jays. He threw 94 pitches.

Lewis underwent an MRI exam Saturday morning.

"It's been bugging me for a couple, three weeks now," he said. "I've pitched through some soreness before, and it usually fades away. I thought this would be the same, but it keeps getting worse. [Friday night], it got to the point where, on the last pitch, it really tightened up on me."

Lewis, 25, underwent Tommy John surgery in 2003 as a sophomore at Ohio State.

"I hope it's not my ligament, obviously," he said. "It feels a little different. This feels more like a flexor tendon. It's in the same area, but there's a lot of other stuff over there. I'm trying to stay positive."

Over the past couple of weeks, Lewis said, the ligament has tested OK.

Lewis, a third-round pick in 2004, made his major-league debut Sept. 10, 2008. He went 4-0 with a 2.63 ERA in four starts for the Tribe last season.

Including exhibition games, Lewis has allowed eight homers in his past 12 innings.

"I think it's going to be more of a muscle-soreness thing in his forearm," Indians manager Eric Wedge said.

Chulk it up: Right-handed reliever Vinnie Chulk was recalled from Class AAA Columbus. He flew into Cleveland on Saturday morning, arrived at the ballpark at about noon and pitched 2 1/3 innings in a 5-4 afternoon loss.

Chulk gave up one run on four hits.

"I'm tired, but it's a good tired," he said. "I was working off adrenaline."

Chulk, a former Blue Jay, was invited to major-league camp after signing a minor-league free-agent contract in February. He had one save and a 1.72 ERA in nine spring training appearances, limiting batters to a .192 average.

The Indians assigned Chulk to Columbus on April 1. He worked two scoreless innings in its season opener Thursday.

Arm's length: Lewis' injury means manager Wedge needs a starter for Wednesday. Long reliever Zach Jackson is a candidate.

"We're not sure what we're going to do yet," Wedge said.

False starts: Indians starters are 0-4. They have given up 37 hits and 30 earned runs in 20 1/3 innings.

Scooter rules: Former Indians farmhand Marco Scutaro, batting leadoff and playing shortstop for Toronto, went 1-for-1 with one run, one RBI and three walks Saturday. He was 3-for-5 with a homer and two RBI in Toronto's 13-7 victory Friday night.

Scutaro is batting .435 this season.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: dmanoloff@plaind.com, 216-999-4664