CLEVELAND -- Logan Allen could feel he was on the verge of taking his game to the next level in his last appearance of 2020. He wasn’t ready for the offseason. He wanted to stay on the rubber.

Allen has always known that he has what it takes to be a regular in a starting rotation. He’s worked exclusively out of the bullpen for the Tribe over the past two seasons. The lefty may not have been the favorite to break camp with the Indians as a starter, but he earned that spot after six months of revamping his mechanics. Although it took him some time to start cruising in Cleveland’s 3-0 loss to Kansas City on Monday at Progressive Field, he showed why he was given this opportunity.

“It was exciting, man,” Allen said of starting the home opener. “I felt like I did a pretty good job of controlling the emotions early, just taking a breath and taking a little more time than normal on the mound in the first inning, between pitches, just trying to stay calm and collected.”

How did Allen get here?

He made just three relief appearances for Cleveland in 2020 and struggled through the first two. But when he was handed the ball on Sept. 26 against the Pirates, he said his mechanics felt better than they ever had, leading to three scoreless frames. So when he sat down with the Tribe before he left for the offseason, he wanted to express his eagerness to build on this momentum.

“The exit meeting,” Allen said, “they said they liked some of the things I had done so far, but there was more to be done.”

Allen knew there was more to be done, which is why he didn’t hesitate to ask if he could go pitch in the instructional league. When that idea was turned down, he decided to report to Goodyear, Ariz., the day after the instructional league wrapped up. That’s when he bought into what he calls the “Indians’ pitching factory.” And while he was putting in the work behind the scenes, the Tribe was shaking up its roster.

Indians fans knew that shortstop Francisco Lindor’s time in Cleveland was limited, so when the news broke that he had been traded in January, there was little surprise. The biggest shock came when it was revealed that starter Carlos Carrasco was also part of that deal. And not only was it more painful for fans to stomach, apprehension also grew about the state of the rotation.

The Tribe was left with solid right-handers in Shane Bieber, Zach Plesac and Aaron Civale. But for a club that’s relied solely on its pitching to remain in contention over the past few seasons, there was now a reason to be concerned that the vacancies in the rotation would hinder Cleveland’s best weapon.

At Spring Training, Allen provided immediate reassurance. After dropping 35 pounds and revamping his mechanics, he owned a 0.64 ERA in 14 Cactus League innings and secured a spot in the four-man rotation -- over Triston McKenzie and Cal Quantrill -- with which the Tribe planned to start the season. On Monday, his hard work finally paid off.

“He’s seized his opportunity,” Bieber said. “I’m confident he’ll continue to seize that opportunity and take advantage of it. He’s done incredibly throughout the spring and really over the last couple of years since we’ve had him. I’ve watched him grow as a person, as a player, as a pitcher, and I know he’s gonna continue that momentum moving forward.”

Allen didn’t get the win, as the Tribe’s bats continued their slow start to 2021, and his command wasn’t quite the same as it was during camp, but Allen settled in after the first two innings and started to cruise. Even though he wasn’t as sharp as he already has been this year, his slider, which he considers to be his best out-pitch, induced a whiff 33 percent of the time against the Royals.

Monday marked the first time a lefty made a start for Cleveland since Ryan Merritt on Aug. 30, 2017 -- a span of 417 games. That’s the fifth-longest stretch that a team went without starting a southpaw in the Modern Era, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Aside from one 3-0 pitch that was left over the middle of the plate to Whit Merrifield, resulting in a two-run homer, Allen worked a strong five innings, allowing two runs on five hits with two walks and three strikeouts.

Most importantly, he provided proof that the rotation is still in good hands.

“I'm a starter. They see me as a starter,” Allen said. “I'm gonna continue to work on being consistent, and that's my plan going forward.”