CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Indians once had so many outfielders on the roster of the big leagues that it was hard to keep them. Guys like Oscar Mercado and Jordan Luplow would be missed from the boxing score for days.
Things situation has pretty much disappeared over the past week or so. Mercado was given an option on August 16 at Classic Park, the Indian alternative training site in Eastlake, to make room for catcher Roberto Perez. Bradley Zimmer joined him Saturday because the Indians needed his roster spot to activate Triston McKenzie. The 6-5 McKenzie made his big league debut against the Tigers on Saturday night.
The Indians reported to Spring Training 1 with 10 outfielders on the 40-man roster. They’re down to five, six if you count DH Franmil Reyes. Delino DeShields, Tyler Naquin, Domingo Santana, Luplow and Greg Allen are the other five.
DeShields started in center, Luplow in left and Santana in right Saturday night against Detroit.
“It was a tough move because he had a great camp,” said acting manager Sandy Alomar. “But last year he was injured most of the year and came back late. He needed to get some reps and we would not be able to give them here consistently because of the matchups.
“Domingo Santana started to turn the bat better and (Tyler) Naquin came here. The bats for him would be limited, so we will give him the opportunity to go there and work and in case we need him, he is ready to go. ‘
Zimmer hit .455 (10-for-22) with three homers and eight RBIs in Spring Training II (summer camp). Those stats were mostly compiled in intrasquad games. When the regular season began, however, the Indians sought to find a combination of outfielders who could and Zimmer and many other boys were much in the shuffle.
In 20 games, Zimmer hit .162 (6-for-37) with one homer and three RBIs. He scored three runs and stole two bases in three attempts. The 20 games are the most Zimmer has played in the major leagues since 2018, when he played in 34 before being drafted for Class AAA Columbus, where he did not fully recover his right shoulder injury until Spring Training II.
While Zimmer goes to Classic Park, McKenzie will be heading to the mound at Progressive Field. After all, it will be an end in itself, but nothing is for sure. Adam Plutko and Carlos Carrasco have been faltering lately and Zach Plesac and Mike Clevinger are on option at Classic Park.
Pitching coach Carl Wllis said McKenzie is being held to a pitch of about 85. McKenzie, like Zimmer, has not seen much game action in the last two years. He started the second half of the 2018 season at Class AA Akron, after missing the first half of the season with an emphatic right elbow. He missed the entire 2019 season due to a tight right rotator cuff and pectoral muscle.
The 6-6, 165-pound McKenzie will not be mistaken for a middle linebacker. To keep him healthy, Willis said it was important for him to repeat his delivery and for the Indians to find a stress-free supply that he could use.
He is also making his debut in the premier league without having put in an organized game on Akron since 2018. McKenzie has been at Classic Park since Spring Training II began, but he has played handball in intrasquad games.
“I don’t know if it’s ever been played with anyone before,” Willis said. ‘I know that because I talked to Triston about it and complimented him on the fact that, when set in Lake County, it’s not your typical league setting where you’re trying to win the Eastern League or the International League and the responsibility a pitcher has every day for his teammates to keep an edge or go out and pitch and give your club a chance to win a game.
“It was a unique opportunity to go out and concentrate on better words, because statistics, wins and losses, they were not part of the comparison, and I think he did an extremely good job with that.”
No. 1: Terry Francona will miss Detroit series
The Indians announced before Saturday’s game that manager Terry Francona will miss the rest of the Tiger series after undergoing a procedure at the Cleveland Clinic on Friday to treat a gastrointestinal problem. It is unclear when Francona will rejoin the team. The Twins arrive at Progressive Field on Monday for a three-game series.
No. 2: Sleeping Jose Ramirez has a sore left thumb
Third baseman Jose Ramirez pulled off a 0-for-19 attack in Saturday’s game. He swung near the plate and picked up a lot of pitches.
Alomar told reporters that Ramirez had to deal with a bad left thumb, but it was not bad enough to take him off the lineup.
“He’s been like that before,” Alomar said. ‘He played while envied. He shot himself. We just do not want him to start measuring his percussion mechanics when he nurses something. But at the end of the day, he goes up there and joins in. ‘
Ramirez hits .230 (23-for-100) with five homers and 18 RBI. He hit .349 (15-for-43) with four homers and 11 RBIs at Progressive Field.
No. 3: As a conclusion
McKenzie at 23 years and 20 days is the eighth youngest starring pitcher to make his Tribal debut since 2000. Sam McDowell was the youngest starter to debut with the Indians on September 15, 1961. McDowell was 18 and 359 days old. . .Catcher Sandy Leon, who is on the list for emergency levels, is expected to be with the team again in the next few days. . .Reyes en Ramirez, both natives of Bani, Dominican Republic, are bound to lead the Indians with 18 RBI. . .Willis is encouraged by a change closer Brad Hand has made in its mechanics and warm-up routine. “We’ve seen some positive results from that – his bike is starting to tick along with the sharpness of his breaking ball.” Hand is 7-for-seven in saving.
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