Re: Articles
211JR- Knee is now fine, unfortunately I tore a shoulder tendon and am on the 6 week disabled list!
Re: Articles
213Took a strange fall when I tripped and in trying to protect the knee twisted and screwed up the shoulder, tore a muscle also.
Guess I'll never DH for the Tribe. Took that off of the bucket list.
Guess I'll never DH for the Tribe. Took that off of the bucket list.
Re: Articles
214My mother in law did something similar recently, Loufla. She's far from a complainer (she grew up hiding in the woods in Finland during World War II), but I know the injury hurt her like Hades.
Take it easy!
Take it easy!
Re: Articles
215Cleveland Indians keep rolling, ride big hits from Travis Hafner and Carlos Santana to 7-3 win over Royals
Published: Tuesday, May 17, 2011, 11:16 PM Updated: Wednesday, May 18, 2011, 12:25 AM
Paul Hoynes, The Plain Dealer By Paul Hoynes
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Catcher Carlos Santana, the cleanup hitter disguised as a walk, is starting to do something different. Sure he walked Tuesday night at Kauffman Stadium, but he swung the bat as well.
Santana singled, homered and scored two runs as the Indians completed a two-game sweep of Kansas City with a 7-3 victory. In the sweep, the Indians outscored the Royals, 26-4.
It's not unusual for cleanup hitters to draw a lot of walks. It is unusual for a cleanup hitter to be batting .222 -- Santana's average at the start of the game -- while leading the team in walks. It is one of the reasons manager Manny Acta has kept Santana in the middle of the lineup.
Acta figured Santana's good eye would eventually turn those walks into hits.
Santana walked in the first inning against Sean O'Sullivan (2-3, 4.68) to increase his team lead to 28. He raced home on Travis Hafner's three-run double down the right-field line for a 3-0 lead. It was Hafner's second three-run double in as many days and gave him six RBI in the sweep.
Santana was in perfect position to draw another walk in the fifth. The count was 3-1, but instead he drove a ball over the right-field fence for a 5-1 lead. It was his sixth homer, five coming from the left side of the plate.
Santana added a single in the seventh.
On defense, Santana guided Carlos Carrasco (2-2, 5.03) to his first victory since April 8. Carrasco allowed two runs on five hits in 5 1/3 innings. He struck out five, walked two and threw 97 pitches.
In the sixth, Santana took the steam out of a Royals rally by throwing out rookie Eric Hosmer on an attempted steal of second. Second baseman Orlando Cabrera assisted with a nice pick and tag on the short hop. He ended the seventh, as another Royals rally started to percolate, by picking off Matt Treanor at second with a strong throw.
Related stories
Michael Brantley started the game with a double to the right-field fence. Asdrubal Cabrera bunted him to third and Shin-Soo Choo was hit by a pitch. After Santana's walk loaded the bases, Hafner unloaded them.
From there, the top-scoring offense in the AL wore down O'Sullivan and the Royals as they stretched the lead to 6-1.
Brantley's sacrifice fly in the fourth made it 4-1. Orlando Cabrera started the inning with a single and worked his way to third on Matt LaPorta's walk and Jack Hannahan's single to load the bases.
They added two more runs in the fifth on Santana's homer and Travis Buck's RBI single. Hafner, who followed Santana's homer with a double to the wall in left center, scored on Buck's single. It was Buck's fourth hit in two games since he was recalled from Class AAA Columbus on Monday to replace injured Grady Sizemore.
The Royals made it 6-2 in the sixth on Hosmer's RBI single. Billy Butler, who entered the game 5-for-8 against Carrasco, opened the inning with a long drive to right center. Choo ran it down at the track for a nice catch, but Jeff Francoeur doubled to right to end Carrasco's night. Rafael Perez relieved and gave up an RBI single to Hosmer.
Asdrubal Cabrera pushed the lead to 7-2 with a leadoff homer in the seventh off rookie Everett Teaford. The Royals called up Teaford for Tuesday's game after the Tribe scored 19 runs on 20 hits in Monday's victory. It was Cabrera's seventh homer.
Carrasco allowed two runs on five hits in 5 1/3 innings in his second start since coming off the disabled list. He struck out five and walked two.
O'Sullivan allowed six runs on eight hits in five innings. He struck out two and walked two.
The Indians are an MLB-best 26-13. They've won three straight and have been in first place in the AL Central for 41 straight days.
The Royals' first run came in the second when Hosmer tripled and scored on Treanor's two-out single to make it 3-1.
Published: Tuesday, May 17, 2011, 11:16 PM Updated: Wednesday, May 18, 2011, 12:25 AM
Paul Hoynes, The Plain Dealer By Paul Hoynes
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Catcher Carlos Santana, the cleanup hitter disguised as a walk, is starting to do something different. Sure he walked Tuesday night at Kauffman Stadium, but he swung the bat as well.
Santana singled, homered and scored two runs as the Indians completed a two-game sweep of Kansas City with a 7-3 victory. In the sweep, the Indians outscored the Royals, 26-4.
It's not unusual for cleanup hitters to draw a lot of walks. It is unusual for a cleanup hitter to be batting .222 -- Santana's average at the start of the game -- while leading the team in walks. It is one of the reasons manager Manny Acta has kept Santana in the middle of the lineup.
Acta figured Santana's good eye would eventually turn those walks into hits.
Santana walked in the first inning against Sean O'Sullivan (2-3, 4.68) to increase his team lead to 28. He raced home on Travis Hafner's three-run double down the right-field line for a 3-0 lead. It was Hafner's second three-run double in as many days and gave him six RBI in the sweep.
Santana was in perfect position to draw another walk in the fifth. The count was 3-1, but instead he drove a ball over the right-field fence for a 5-1 lead. It was his sixth homer, five coming from the left side of the plate.
Santana added a single in the seventh.
On defense, Santana guided Carlos Carrasco (2-2, 5.03) to his first victory since April 8. Carrasco allowed two runs on five hits in 5 1/3 innings. He struck out five, walked two and threw 97 pitches.
In the sixth, Santana took the steam out of a Royals rally by throwing out rookie Eric Hosmer on an attempted steal of second. Second baseman Orlando Cabrera assisted with a nice pick and tag on the short hop. He ended the seventh, as another Royals rally started to percolate, by picking off Matt Treanor at second with a strong throw.
Related stories
Michael Brantley started the game with a double to the right-field fence. Asdrubal Cabrera bunted him to third and Shin-Soo Choo was hit by a pitch. After Santana's walk loaded the bases, Hafner unloaded them.
From there, the top-scoring offense in the AL wore down O'Sullivan and the Royals as they stretched the lead to 6-1.
Brantley's sacrifice fly in the fourth made it 4-1. Orlando Cabrera started the inning with a single and worked his way to third on Matt LaPorta's walk and Jack Hannahan's single to load the bases.
They added two more runs in the fifth on Santana's homer and Travis Buck's RBI single. Hafner, who followed Santana's homer with a double to the wall in left center, scored on Buck's single. It was Buck's fourth hit in two games since he was recalled from Class AAA Columbus on Monday to replace injured Grady Sizemore.
The Royals made it 6-2 in the sixth on Hosmer's RBI single. Billy Butler, who entered the game 5-for-8 against Carrasco, opened the inning with a long drive to right center. Choo ran it down at the track for a nice catch, but Jeff Francoeur doubled to right to end Carrasco's night. Rafael Perez relieved and gave up an RBI single to Hosmer.
Asdrubal Cabrera pushed the lead to 7-2 with a leadoff homer in the seventh off rookie Everett Teaford. The Royals called up Teaford for Tuesday's game after the Tribe scored 19 runs on 20 hits in Monday's victory. It was Cabrera's seventh homer.
Carrasco allowed two runs on five hits in 5 1/3 innings in his second start since coming off the disabled list. He struck out five and walked two.
O'Sullivan allowed six runs on eight hits in five innings. He struck out two and walked two.
The Indians are an MLB-best 26-13. They've won three straight and have been in first place in the AL Central for 41 straight days.
The Royals' first run came in the second when Hosmer tripled and scored on Treanor's two-out single to make it 3-1.
Re: Articles
217On defense, Santana guided Carlos Carrasco (2-2, 5.03) to his first victory since April 8. Carrasco allowed two runs on five hits in 5 1/3 innings. He struck out five, walked two and threw 97 pitches.
That would indicate that Santana calls the pitches. I remember reading some here saying that all he did was relay signs called by Acta.
That would indicate that Santana calls the pitches. I remember reading some here saying that all he did was relay signs called by Acta.
Re: Articles
218Ten most important things we've learned
May, 18, 2011
By David Schoenfield
We're about 25 percent of the way through the season. After writing about my 25 percent AL and NL MVPs earlier, here are 10 important things we've learned so far.
1. Offense is down and not going up.
OK, it's not quite 1968, but entering Tuesday the major league batting average was .251, lowest since 1972, and the slugging percentage was .389, lowest since 1992. What this means is we have to mentally adjust our calculations of player performance from what we've been used to the past 15 years.
For example, Cliff Lee has a 3.84 ERA. Pretty good, right? Well, the NL overall ERA is 3.82, so before making park adjustments and so forth, Lee has been about average. He's 33rd among 61 NL starters in ERA. He's allowed a .262 batting average, which also placed him 33rd. Jimmy Rollins isn't having a great year with a .276/.355/.374 line? Actually, that makes about a league average hitter, and very good for a shortstop.
2. Parity rules the day.
Only three teams are at least seven games out of first place -- the White Sox, Twins and Astros.
I checked a similar point in the schedule for each of the past 10 seasons, seeing how many teams were at least seven games out at the quarter point:
2010: 9
2009: 10
2008: 4
2007: 14
2006: 7
2005: 10
2004: 5
2003: 12
2002: 12
2001: 11
Obviously, those totals can be affected by a supremely hot start by a team in your division (such as Seattle starting 31-9 in 2001). The Indians and Phillies are the only teams playing .600 ball so far, but we also have fewer bottom feeders than usual. Every injury, every blown save, every late-inning comeback or costly error will be even more important this season.
3. Never overreact to the first two weeks.
We do it every year. We'll do it again next year. It's a rite of baseball, alongside hot dogs, the seventh-inning stretch and four-hour Red Sox-Yankees games. Tampa Bay started 1-8. Boston started 2-10. A month later, the Rays are in first place and the Red Sox are over .500.
4. Thus, while the Yankees have issues, there is no need to panic yet.
The Yankees are kind of doing what everyone has expected, aren't they? Their offense is second in the AL in runs, the starting rotation has the 10th-best ERA and their bullpen has the fifth-best ERA. But a 6-10 record so far in May has New York in a bad state of mind. But history shows us the Yankees often have a bad month on the way to winning season. Here is their worst month each of the past 10 seasons:
2010: 12-15 in September (95 wins)
2009: 12-10 in April (103 wins)
2008: 13-15 in August (89 wins)
2007: 9-14 in April; 13-15 in May (94 wins)
2006: 14-12 in June (97 wins)
2005: 10-14 in April; 12-14 in June (95 wins)
2004: 12-11 in April (101 wins)
2003: 11-17 in May (101 wins)
2002: 14-12 in June (103 wins)
2001: 15-14 in August (95 wins)
So that's only six losing months in 10 years, but it's evidence (for me) that an under-.500 May doesn't the mean the Yankees have to push the panic button. (Although it's fun to watch the fans and media overreact.)
5. The Cardinals can win without Adam Wainwright.
Few teams could survive the loss of a Cy Young contenders, but so far St. Louis has withstood the loss of their ace. Led by the fearsome foursome of Albert Pujols, Matt Holliday, Lance Berkman and Colby Rasmus, St. Louis has the best offense in the NL, leading the league in runs, batting average and on-base percentage entering Tuesday. It's been their pitching that has been a pleasant surprise. They have 25 quality starts, tied for fourth in the league, and they're doing it despite slow starts from Chris Carpenter (1-3 4.95 ERA through nine starts) and Jake Westbrook (3-3, 6.07 ERA). But Jaime Garcia pitched another gem Tuesday night and he's looking like one of the best starters in the NL. Kyle Lohse has been excellent and Kyle McClellan a nice bonus moving over from the bullpen. The bullpen is getting straightened out ... and Pujols hasn't even heated up yet.
6. Jose Bautista is for real.
But are the Blue Jays? Toronto is 21-20, right in the thick of the AL East race. The Blue Jays are hanging in there despite some dreadful starts by some of their regulars: Edwin Encarnacion and Aaron Hill haven't homered yet, Travis Snider is hitting .184 and Juan Rivera is hitting .203. If those guys start hitting, the Jays could turn the East into a four-team race.
7. Speed is more important than it has been in years.
With scoring down, teams are placing more of an emphasis on stealing bases, manufacturing runs and gaining that extra base. Stolen bases are averaging .68 per team per game, the highest since the same total in 1999. From Baseball Prospectus, the top five baserunning teams (incorporating steals and advancement on base hits, etc.).
1. Nationals, +9.5 runs
2. Mets, +7.7 runs
3. Dodgers, +5.7 runs
4. Blue Jays, +5.5 runs
5. Giants, +5.4 runs
The bottom five:
30. Braves, -9.5 runs
29. Cardinals, -6.7 runs
28. Marlins, -5.0 runs
27. White Sox, -4.7 runs
26. Rockies, -4.1 runs
With more close games, every little edge counts. Pay attention to how your team runs the bases.
8. More young stars on the way.
After 2010's terrific crop of rookies -- Buster Posey, Jason Heyward, Mike Stanton, Starlin Castro, Jaime Garcia, Ike Davis, Neftali Feliz, Brian Matusz, among others -- we're seeing another good-looking group. Not surprisingly, it's led by pitchers: AL starters Michael Pineda (Seattle), Jeremy Hellickson (Tampa Bay) and Zach Britton (Baltimore), plus closers Craig Kimbrel (Atlanta) and Jordan Walden (Angels).
For hitters, Royals first baseman Eric Hosmer is the first of a wave of talented prospects about to arrive in Kansas City, with pitcher Danny Duffy debuting Wednesday. A pair of catchers -- J.P. Arencibia in Toronto and Hank Conger with the Angels -- look like future middle-of-the-order hitters. Down in the minors, Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper and Angels outfielder Mike Trout are living up to their billing as two of the best hitting prospects we've seen in years.
9. The defending champs will have to fix, repair and adjust on the fly like last season.
Shortstop Miguel Tejada is on his final legs. Aubrey Huff, last year's cleanup hitter, is hitting .229. The outfield has been a revolving door of slumping hitters, hot streaks and injuries. Will top prospect Brandon Belt return anytime soon, and where will he play? Does Nate Schierholtz have enough bat to remain in the lineup? The starting pitching remains solid and the bullpen looks excellent, but can Bruce Bochy arrange his chess board with the same magical results as 2010?
10. The Indians aren't going anywhere.
They easily have the majors' largest run differential (+63). They actually haven't taken advantage of a soft schedule, as their strength of schedule has been top 10 in the majors so far. The lineup leads the AL in runs scored and that's without their No. 3 and 4 hitters (Shin-Soo Choo and Carlos Santana) meeting projected numbers.
If the Indians remain baseball's Cinderella story ... well, let's just say no city deserves it more.
http://espn.go.com/blog/SweetSpot/post/ ... ve-learned
May, 18, 2011
By David Schoenfield
We're about 25 percent of the way through the season. After writing about my 25 percent AL and NL MVPs earlier, here are 10 important things we've learned so far.
1. Offense is down and not going up.
OK, it's not quite 1968, but entering Tuesday the major league batting average was .251, lowest since 1972, and the slugging percentage was .389, lowest since 1992. What this means is we have to mentally adjust our calculations of player performance from what we've been used to the past 15 years.
For example, Cliff Lee has a 3.84 ERA. Pretty good, right? Well, the NL overall ERA is 3.82, so before making park adjustments and so forth, Lee has been about average. He's 33rd among 61 NL starters in ERA. He's allowed a .262 batting average, which also placed him 33rd. Jimmy Rollins isn't having a great year with a .276/.355/.374 line? Actually, that makes about a league average hitter, and very good for a shortstop.
2. Parity rules the day.
Only three teams are at least seven games out of first place -- the White Sox, Twins and Astros.
I checked a similar point in the schedule for each of the past 10 seasons, seeing how many teams were at least seven games out at the quarter point:
2010: 9
2009: 10
2008: 4
2007: 14
2006: 7
2005: 10
2004: 5
2003: 12
2002: 12
2001: 11
Obviously, those totals can be affected by a supremely hot start by a team in your division (such as Seattle starting 31-9 in 2001). The Indians and Phillies are the only teams playing .600 ball so far, but we also have fewer bottom feeders than usual. Every injury, every blown save, every late-inning comeback or costly error will be even more important this season.
3. Never overreact to the first two weeks.
We do it every year. We'll do it again next year. It's a rite of baseball, alongside hot dogs, the seventh-inning stretch and four-hour Red Sox-Yankees games. Tampa Bay started 1-8. Boston started 2-10. A month later, the Rays are in first place and the Red Sox are over .500.
4. Thus, while the Yankees have issues, there is no need to panic yet.
The Yankees are kind of doing what everyone has expected, aren't they? Their offense is second in the AL in runs, the starting rotation has the 10th-best ERA and their bullpen has the fifth-best ERA. But a 6-10 record so far in May has New York in a bad state of mind. But history shows us the Yankees often have a bad month on the way to winning season. Here is their worst month each of the past 10 seasons:
2010: 12-15 in September (95 wins)
2009: 12-10 in April (103 wins)
2008: 13-15 in August (89 wins)
2007: 9-14 in April; 13-15 in May (94 wins)
2006: 14-12 in June (97 wins)
2005: 10-14 in April; 12-14 in June (95 wins)
2004: 12-11 in April (101 wins)
2003: 11-17 in May (101 wins)
2002: 14-12 in June (103 wins)
2001: 15-14 in August (95 wins)
So that's only six losing months in 10 years, but it's evidence (for me) that an under-.500 May doesn't the mean the Yankees have to push the panic button. (Although it's fun to watch the fans and media overreact.)
5. The Cardinals can win without Adam Wainwright.
Few teams could survive the loss of a Cy Young contenders, but so far St. Louis has withstood the loss of their ace. Led by the fearsome foursome of Albert Pujols, Matt Holliday, Lance Berkman and Colby Rasmus, St. Louis has the best offense in the NL, leading the league in runs, batting average and on-base percentage entering Tuesday. It's been their pitching that has been a pleasant surprise. They have 25 quality starts, tied for fourth in the league, and they're doing it despite slow starts from Chris Carpenter (1-3 4.95 ERA through nine starts) and Jake Westbrook (3-3, 6.07 ERA). But Jaime Garcia pitched another gem Tuesday night and he's looking like one of the best starters in the NL. Kyle Lohse has been excellent and Kyle McClellan a nice bonus moving over from the bullpen. The bullpen is getting straightened out ... and Pujols hasn't even heated up yet.
6. Jose Bautista is for real.
But are the Blue Jays? Toronto is 21-20, right in the thick of the AL East race. The Blue Jays are hanging in there despite some dreadful starts by some of their regulars: Edwin Encarnacion and Aaron Hill haven't homered yet, Travis Snider is hitting .184 and Juan Rivera is hitting .203. If those guys start hitting, the Jays could turn the East into a four-team race.
7. Speed is more important than it has been in years.
With scoring down, teams are placing more of an emphasis on stealing bases, manufacturing runs and gaining that extra base. Stolen bases are averaging .68 per team per game, the highest since the same total in 1999. From Baseball Prospectus, the top five baserunning teams (incorporating steals and advancement on base hits, etc.).
1. Nationals, +9.5 runs
2. Mets, +7.7 runs
3. Dodgers, +5.7 runs
4. Blue Jays, +5.5 runs
5. Giants, +5.4 runs
The bottom five:
30. Braves, -9.5 runs
29. Cardinals, -6.7 runs
28. Marlins, -5.0 runs
27. White Sox, -4.7 runs
26. Rockies, -4.1 runs
With more close games, every little edge counts. Pay attention to how your team runs the bases.
8. More young stars on the way.
After 2010's terrific crop of rookies -- Buster Posey, Jason Heyward, Mike Stanton, Starlin Castro, Jaime Garcia, Ike Davis, Neftali Feliz, Brian Matusz, among others -- we're seeing another good-looking group. Not surprisingly, it's led by pitchers: AL starters Michael Pineda (Seattle), Jeremy Hellickson (Tampa Bay) and Zach Britton (Baltimore), plus closers Craig Kimbrel (Atlanta) and Jordan Walden (Angels).
For hitters, Royals first baseman Eric Hosmer is the first of a wave of talented prospects about to arrive in Kansas City, with pitcher Danny Duffy debuting Wednesday. A pair of catchers -- J.P. Arencibia in Toronto and Hank Conger with the Angels -- look like future middle-of-the-order hitters. Down in the minors, Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper and Angels outfielder Mike Trout are living up to their billing as two of the best hitting prospects we've seen in years.
9. The defending champs will have to fix, repair and adjust on the fly like last season.
Shortstop Miguel Tejada is on his final legs. Aubrey Huff, last year's cleanup hitter, is hitting .229. The outfield has been a revolving door of slumping hitters, hot streaks and injuries. Will top prospect Brandon Belt return anytime soon, and where will he play? Does Nate Schierholtz have enough bat to remain in the lineup? The starting pitching remains solid and the bullpen looks excellent, but can Bruce Bochy arrange his chess board with the same magical results as 2010?
10. The Indians aren't going anywhere.
They easily have the majors' largest run differential (+63). They actually haven't taken advantage of a soft schedule, as their strength of schedule has been top 10 in the majors so far. The lineup leads the AL in runs scored and that's without their No. 3 and 4 hitters (Shin-Soo Choo and Carlos Santana) meeting projected numbers.
If the Indians remain baseball's Cinderella story ... well, let's just say no city deserves it more.
http://espn.go.com/blog/SweetSpot/post/ ... ve-learned
Re: Articles
219I guess that "not going anywhere" means "not going away"? Although without his following explanation I would have guessed "not staying at the top"
Re: Articles
220• When the Indians exploded for 19 runs on Monday night, it was the type of offensive performance their Cleveland football counterparts could fully appreciate. The Browns failed to put 19 (points) on the board in 10 of their 16 games during the 2010 NFL season.
Re: Articles
221LaPorta making big strides at the plate
By Robert Falkoff / Special to MLB.com | 05/17/11 8:48 PM ET
KANSAS CITY -- With a 4-for-4 night on Monday, Matt LaPorta raised his batting average to .274 and provided more evidence that he's making significant strides as a Major League hitter.
"He had a big game and he has made a lot of progress," Indians manager Manny Acta said. "He's a big right-handed bat that we've been looking for. Down the road, we'll probably stick him behind [Travis] Hafner."
Acta was particularly impressed when LaPorta blasted a double to left-center off hard-throwing Royals reliever Jeremy Jeffress in the fifth inning.
"He has the ability to hit a good fastball," Acta said. "He showed that against Jeffress. You can't teach that."
LaPorta just hopes a .316 batting average over the last 22 games will be his springboard to a big season.
"I feel like I'm seeing the ball better and swinging at better pitches," LaPorta said. "That's what it's about. And when J.R. picked me up in his fantasy league, it gave me a big confidence boost."
Tribe's A. Cabrera looking like an All-Star
KANSAS CITY -- Based on the way shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera has performed through the opening one-fourth of the season, Indians manager Manny Acta thinks Cabrera has put himself in position to receive strong All-Star consideration.
"Asdrubal Cabrera has been an All-Star up to now," Acta said. "He has done a tremendous job defensively and offensively."
Cabrera went into Tuesday's game against the Royals hitting .289 with six homers and 26 RBIs for a Cleveland team that has the best record in the American League.
"The way he has played to this point -- at the position he plays -- he has a pretty good chance," Acta said.
Acta appreciates chance to be All-Star coach
KANSAS CITY -- When Rangers manager Ron Washington stopped by Manny Acta's office during Spring Training, Acta figured the conversation would be routine baseball talk.
For Acta, it turned into something far more significant. Washington invited Acta to be on his American League All-Star coaching staff in Phoenix and the Indians manager couldn't wait to accept.
"You can't imagine how I felt the whole Spring Training, knowing I was going to the All-Star Game, whether I had a good first half or a bad first half," Acta said. "The whole Spring Training, I was in the clouds.
"Ron was nice enough to talk to me and recognize that everything I have gotten up to now I have worked for, just like him. He wanted to give me the opportunity and I'm very thankful for it. I also demonstrated to him that I can keep a secret."
Washington also selected Toronto manager John Farrell to be on the AL coaching staff.
"When he dropped that on me, I was kind of in shock and got all teary-eyed," Acta said. "At that point, I don't think he realized what that meant to me. It was very emotional and hard to keep inside. I wanted to get out of that office, jump around and tell the whole world."
Drennen suspended for banned substance
KANSAS CITY -- The Indians' organization was quick to respond to Tuesday's announcement from the Commissioner's office that Double-A outfielder John Drennen has received a 50-game suspension in violation of the Minor League Drug Prevention and Treatment Program after testing positive for Clomiphene, a performance-enhancing substance.
"The Cleveland Indians strongly support Major League Baseball's Minor League Drug Prevention and Treatment Program," said Ross Atkins, Indians vice president of Player Development. "In addition to this support, we continue to implement an aggressive educational program at all levels of the organization. We want our players to be aware of the dangers of these substances and will continue to be vigilant in these matters."
Drennen, the Indians' supplemental first-round pick in the 2005 First-Year Player Draft, was hitting .256 with three homers, nine doubles and 15 runs batted in for Double-A Akron.
Drennen gained notoriety in 2006 when he homered off Roger Clemens when Clemens was making a rehab start for Class A Lexington.
Smoke signals
• When the Indians exploded for 19 runs on Monday night, it was the type of offensive performance their Cleveland football counterparts could fully appreciate. The Browns failed to put 19 (points) on the board in 10 of their 16 games during the 2010 NFL season.
• Outfielder Anthony Gallas was selected as the Indians' Minor League Player of the Week for May 8-14. Gallas, 23, hit .450 (9 of 20) with three doubles, a homer and three runs batted in for Class A Lake County.
• Outfielder Michael Brantley entered Tuesday's game ranked 15th in the American League in batting average (.304) and 11th in on-base percentage (.383). Brantley was on a .340 tear since April 30. "He has very good hand-eye coordination and seems to be able to put the fat part of the bat on the ball," Indians manager Manny Acta said of Brantley.
• Right-hander Mitch Talbot (right elbow strain) will make what could be his final rehab appearance on Thursday for Triple-A Columbus.
By Robert Falkoff / Special to MLB.com | 05/17/11 8:48 PM ET
KANSAS CITY -- With a 4-for-4 night on Monday, Matt LaPorta raised his batting average to .274 and provided more evidence that he's making significant strides as a Major League hitter.
"He had a big game and he has made a lot of progress," Indians manager Manny Acta said. "He's a big right-handed bat that we've been looking for. Down the road, we'll probably stick him behind [Travis] Hafner."
Acta was particularly impressed when LaPorta blasted a double to left-center off hard-throwing Royals reliever Jeremy Jeffress in the fifth inning.
"He has the ability to hit a good fastball," Acta said. "He showed that against Jeffress. You can't teach that."
LaPorta just hopes a .316 batting average over the last 22 games will be his springboard to a big season.
"I feel like I'm seeing the ball better and swinging at better pitches," LaPorta said. "That's what it's about. And when J.R. picked me up in his fantasy league, it gave me a big confidence boost."
Tribe's A. Cabrera looking like an All-Star
KANSAS CITY -- Based on the way shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera has performed through the opening one-fourth of the season, Indians manager Manny Acta thinks Cabrera has put himself in position to receive strong All-Star consideration.
"Asdrubal Cabrera has been an All-Star up to now," Acta said. "He has done a tremendous job defensively and offensively."
Cabrera went into Tuesday's game against the Royals hitting .289 with six homers and 26 RBIs for a Cleveland team that has the best record in the American League.
"The way he has played to this point -- at the position he plays -- he has a pretty good chance," Acta said.
Acta appreciates chance to be All-Star coach
KANSAS CITY -- When Rangers manager Ron Washington stopped by Manny Acta's office during Spring Training, Acta figured the conversation would be routine baseball talk.
For Acta, it turned into something far more significant. Washington invited Acta to be on his American League All-Star coaching staff in Phoenix and the Indians manager couldn't wait to accept.
"You can't imagine how I felt the whole Spring Training, knowing I was going to the All-Star Game, whether I had a good first half or a bad first half," Acta said. "The whole Spring Training, I was in the clouds.
"Ron was nice enough to talk to me and recognize that everything I have gotten up to now I have worked for, just like him. He wanted to give me the opportunity and I'm very thankful for it. I also demonstrated to him that I can keep a secret."
Washington also selected Toronto manager John Farrell to be on the AL coaching staff.
"When he dropped that on me, I was kind of in shock and got all teary-eyed," Acta said. "At that point, I don't think he realized what that meant to me. It was very emotional and hard to keep inside. I wanted to get out of that office, jump around and tell the whole world."
Drennen suspended for banned substance
KANSAS CITY -- The Indians' organization was quick to respond to Tuesday's announcement from the Commissioner's office that Double-A outfielder John Drennen has received a 50-game suspension in violation of the Minor League Drug Prevention and Treatment Program after testing positive for Clomiphene, a performance-enhancing substance.
"The Cleveland Indians strongly support Major League Baseball's Minor League Drug Prevention and Treatment Program," said Ross Atkins, Indians vice president of Player Development. "In addition to this support, we continue to implement an aggressive educational program at all levels of the organization. We want our players to be aware of the dangers of these substances and will continue to be vigilant in these matters."
Drennen, the Indians' supplemental first-round pick in the 2005 First-Year Player Draft, was hitting .256 with three homers, nine doubles and 15 runs batted in for Double-A Akron.
Drennen gained notoriety in 2006 when he homered off Roger Clemens when Clemens was making a rehab start for Class A Lexington.
Smoke signals
• When the Indians exploded for 19 runs on Monday night, it was the type of offensive performance their Cleveland football counterparts could fully appreciate. The Browns failed to put 19 (points) on the board in 10 of their 16 games during the 2010 NFL season.
• Outfielder Anthony Gallas was selected as the Indians' Minor League Player of the Week for May 8-14. Gallas, 23, hit .450 (9 of 20) with three doubles, a homer and three runs batted in for Class A Lake County.
• Outfielder Michael Brantley entered Tuesday's game ranked 15th in the American League in batting average (.304) and 11th in on-base percentage (.383). Brantley was on a .340 tear since April 30. "He has very good hand-eye coordination and seems to be able to put the fat part of the bat on the ball," Indians manager Manny Acta said of Brantley.
• Right-hander Mitch Talbot (right elbow strain) will make what could be his final rehab appearance on Thursday for Triple-A Columbus.
Re: Articles
222Not only is this the Indians' best start since they went 26-11 in 2001, it's Manny Acta's best start as a big-league manager. He's in his second year with the Indians after managing Washington for 2 1/2 seasons.
"It's always a little easier to handle when you're winning," said Acta. "I spend less time walking around and pumping guys up and trying to convince guys to be patient because things will turn around. It's easier in that aspect."
Managing is always about points and counterpoints.
"You to try and keep people even keel and cautious," said Acta. "It's early. We can't get comfortable and we've still got to work hard and still get out there and try to win every single day. We're not even close to where we want to be."
Acta said the success of the first 37 games of the season started during the 93 losses of 2010. He complimented Eric Wedge, now managing Seattle, for stressing that the team be built around players with character during his seven years as the Tribe's manager.
"I had a great time here last year because of the character of these guys," said Acta.
Still, there's nothing like being on a hot streak.
"It's easier to go home at night when you're winning," Acta said with a smile. "Not that it makes any difference because my wife's not here. I don't have anyone to fight with. But I'm pretty good at not taking my game home anyway."
"It's always a little easier to handle when you're winning," said Acta. "I spend less time walking around and pumping guys up and trying to convince guys to be patient because things will turn around. It's easier in that aspect."
Managing is always about points and counterpoints.
"You to try and keep people even keel and cautious," said Acta. "It's early. We can't get comfortable and we've still got to work hard and still get out there and try to win every single day. We're not even close to where we want to be."
Acta said the success of the first 37 games of the season started during the 93 losses of 2010. He complimented Eric Wedge, now managing Seattle, for stressing that the team be built around players with character during his seven years as the Tribe's manager.
"I had a great time here last year because of the character of these guys," said Acta.
Still, there's nothing like being on a hot streak.
"It's easier to go home at night when you're winning," Acta said with a smile. "Not that it makes any difference because my wife's not here. I don't have anyone to fight with. But I'm pretty good at not taking my game home anyway."
Re: Articles
223Video of Chris Perez throwing the ball over the centerfield fence towards the KC fountains. He was p.o'd about his 9th inning performance even though The Tribe won.
http://www.cleveland.com/tribe/index.ss ... rom_l.html
An article by Hoynes this evening, as well
http://www.cleveland.com/tribe/index.ss ... rom_l.html
An article by Hoynes this evening, as well
Re: Articles
224CHICAGO -- Something has to give on the Indians' roster when right-hander Mitch Talbot is ready to come off the disabled list. As far as manager Manny Acta is concerned, it is a sign of progress to have such problems.
"They are good decisions, man," Acta said on Wednesday at U.S. Cellular Field. "It means you're in a good spot, you're building depth. It's a different ballgame than last year and probably the year before. We hope to make tough decisions all the time."
The current plan for Talbot -- on the 15-day disabled list with a right elbow issue -- calls for one last Minor League rehab start for Triple-A Columbus on Thursday before potentially being activated. When Talbot does return, the two most vulnerable members of the rotation are Alex White and Carlos Carrasco.
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Talbot's seven strikeouts
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4/6/11: Mitch Talbot strikes out seven Red Sox over 4 1/3 innings of work
Tags: Mitch Talbot, More From This Game, highlight reel, Cleveland Indians, pitching
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Talbot's strong start
Hafner's three-run double
Hafner's bases-clearing double
One solution for retaining all three pitchers could be shifting Talbot into Cleveland's bullpen.
"We're not thinking about him going to the 'pen yet," Acta said. "But there's always a chance of everything in life."
In 30 career starts for the Indians, the 27-year-old Talbot has gone 11-13 with a 4.19 ERA. This season, the right-hander was 1-0 with a 1.46 ERA through two outings before being shelved with the elbow issue. In a rehab start for Columbus on Saturday, Talbot allowed two runs on six hits over five innings.
Part of the equation is the fact that Talbot is out of Minor League options, meaning he can't be sent to the Minors without first being exposed to waivers. One way or another, he will be on the Tribe's pitching staff when he is deemed healthy. White and Carrasco, on the other hand, both have options.
Carrasco (2-2 with a 5.03 ERA through seven starts) opened the season as the Indians' No. 2 starter, and it seems unlikely he would be optioned to the Minors to clear room for Talbot. White -- the Tribe's top pick in the 2009 First-Year Player Draft -- has held his own through two outings, going 1-0 with a 3.75 ERA.
The Indians could elect to option the 22-year-old White back to Columbus to continue his development. Or, given his solid showing and the team's first-place standing in the American League Central, Cleveland might want to keep him on the Major League staff. One thing is certain: White is not an option for the bullpen.
"Alex is going to start regardless of where he goes," Acta said. "He has competed well. The secondary stuff, in three outings, is not going to get to the point where we want it or where he wants it, and we understand that.
"But, he has competed well. He has been able to throw strikes and show good poise on the mound. He's done well. Again, it's a very small sample."
Hafner pulled with soreness in right side
CHICAGO -- Travis Hafner was originally in the starting lineup for Wednesday's game against the White Sox. A little more than an hour before first pitch, however, the Indians' designated hitter was scratched with soreness in his right side.
"It's just rib soreness," Indians manager Manny Acta said following a 1-0 loss to the White Sox. "We took him out of the lineup and he's going to be re-evaluated when he shows up tomorrow. He did it in batting practice while swinging the bat. He felt a little soreness, so we stopped it."
Losing Hafner for any amount of time would be a blow to the Tribe's offense. On the season, the 33-year-old slugger is hitting .345 with five home runs and 22 RBIs through 32 games. Over his past three games, Hafner had gone 5-for-11 with three doubles, one homer and six RBIs.
Hafner missed five games from April 28-May 3 due to a strained tendon in the bottom of his right foot. Over the past few years, he has also been hindered by a persistent right shoulder injury, though that issue has not been a problem this season.
With Hafner out of the lineup in Chicago, Indians manager Manny Acta used Shelley Duncan as the team's designated hitter. Duncan was slotted into the seventh spot in the lineup. Left fielder Travis Buck moved into the No. 5 hole, which is typically reserved for Hafner.
Smoke signals
• The Indians entered Wednesday's play with the best winning percentage (26-13; .667) in the Majors, and the best run differential (+63).
• The Tribe has resided in first place in the American League Central for 41 consecutive days.
• Shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera entered Wednesday leading all American League shortstops in homers (seven), RBIs (27), runs (27) and hits (47).
• Indians starting pitchers had gone 17-6 with a 3.00 ERA with 27 quality starts in the team's previous 37 games entering Wednesday's tilt against the White Sox.
• Cleveland's .989 fielding percentage was the second-best mark in the AL. The Tribe was tied for the fewest errors (16) in the league and had allowed just nine unearned runs on the year.
"They are good decisions, man," Acta said on Wednesday at U.S. Cellular Field. "It means you're in a good spot, you're building depth. It's a different ballgame than last year and probably the year before. We hope to make tough decisions all the time."
The current plan for Talbot -- on the 15-day disabled list with a right elbow issue -- calls for one last Minor League rehab start for Triple-A Columbus on Thursday before potentially being activated. When Talbot does return, the two most vulnerable members of the rotation are Alex White and Carlos Carrasco.
play video
Talbot's seven strikeouts
00:01:30
4/6/11: Mitch Talbot strikes out seven Red Sox over 4 1/3 innings of work
Tags: Mitch Talbot, More From This Game, highlight reel, Cleveland Indians, pitching
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Related Video
Talbot's strong start
Hafner's three-run double
Hafner's bases-clearing double
One solution for retaining all three pitchers could be shifting Talbot into Cleveland's bullpen.
"We're not thinking about him going to the 'pen yet," Acta said. "But there's always a chance of everything in life."
In 30 career starts for the Indians, the 27-year-old Talbot has gone 11-13 with a 4.19 ERA. This season, the right-hander was 1-0 with a 1.46 ERA through two outings before being shelved with the elbow issue. In a rehab start for Columbus on Saturday, Talbot allowed two runs on six hits over five innings.
Part of the equation is the fact that Talbot is out of Minor League options, meaning he can't be sent to the Minors without first being exposed to waivers. One way or another, he will be on the Tribe's pitching staff when he is deemed healthy. White and Carrasco, on the other hand, both have options.
Carrasco (2-2 with a 5.03 ERA through seven starts) opened the season as the Indians' No. 2 starter, and it seems unlikely he would be optioned to the Minors to clear room for Talbot. White -- the Tribe's top pick in the 2009 First-Year Player Draft -- has held his own through two outings, going 1-0 with a 3.75 ERA.
The Indians could elect to option the 22-year-old White back to Columbus to continue his development. Or, given his solid showing and the team's first-place standing in the American League Central, Cleveland might want to keep him on the Major League staff. One thing is certain: White is not an option for the bullpen.
"Alex is going to start regardless of where he goes," Acta said. "He has competed well. The secondary stuff, in three outings, is not going to get to the point where we want it or where he wants it, and we understand that.
"But, he has competed well. He has been able to throw strikes and show good poise on the mound. He's done well. Again, it's a very small sample."
Hafner pulled with soreness in right side
CHICAGO -- Travis Hafner was originally in the starting lineup for Wednesday's game against the White Sox. A little more than an hour before first pitch, however, the Indians' designated hitter was scratched with soreness in his right side.
"It's just rib soreness," Indians manager Manny Acta said following a 1-0 loss to the White Sox. "We took him out of the lineup and he's going to be re-evaluated when he shows up tomorrow. He did it in batting practice while swinging the bat. He felt a little soreness, so we stopped it."
Losing Hafner for any amount of time would be a blow to the Tribe's offense. On the season, the 33-year-old slugger is hitting .345 with five home runs and 22 RBIs through 32 games. Over his past three games, Hafner had gone 5-for-11 with three doubles, one homer and six RBIs.
Hafner missed five games from April 28-May 3 due to a strained tendon in the bottom of his right foot. Over the past few years, he has also been hindered by a persistent right shoulder injury, though that issue has not been a problem this season.
With Hafner out of the lineup in Chicago, Indians manager Manny Acta used Shelley Duncan as the team's designated hitter. Duncan was slotted into the seventh spot in the lineup. Left fielder Travis Buck moved into the No. 5 hole, which is typically reserved for Hafner.
Smoke signals
• The Indians entered Wednesday's play with the best winning percentage (26-13; .667) in the Majors, and the best run differential (+63).
• The Tribe has resided in first place in the American League Central for 41 consecutive days.
• Shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera entered Wednesday leading all American League shortstops in homers (seven), RBIs (27), runs (27) and hits (47).
• Indians starting pitchers had gone 17-6 with a 3.00 ERA with 27 quality starts in the team's previous 37 games entering Wednesday's tilt against the White Sox.
• Cleveland's .989 fielding percentage was the second-best mark in the AL. The Tribe was tied for the fewest errors (16) in the league and had allowed just nine unearned runs on the year.
Re: Articles
225Tribe worries injuries will cool off red-hot start: Cleveland Indians Insider
Published: Friday, May 20, 2011, 3:25 AM Updated: Friday, May 20, 2011, 4:03 AM
By Paul Hoynes, The Plain Dealer
CHICAGO, Ill. — One swing of the bat could have a lot to say on how long the Indians remain baseball's feel-good story.
Travis Hafner was in his third round of batting practice before Wednesday's game against the White Sox at U.S. Cellular Field. He took a swing like any other swing, but it did not end well.
"It was just one swing in BP," said Hafner, after the Indians' 8-2 loss to Chicago on Thursday. "I took one swing, and it was really painful. Then I couldn't swung anymore."
Hafner didn't play Wednesday or Thursday as Chicago swept the Indians. The Indians haven't identified the injury, but Hafner said: "It's a possible oblique [strain]. We're not sure yet. We'll get it checked out when we get back to Cleveland."
The Indians, who lead the American League Central at 26-15, returned home after Thursday's loss. If the injury is a strained oblique muscle, Hafner could be on the disabled list for between four and six weeks.
"One of the big things was how it felt [Thursday] morning," said Hafner. "It wasn't worse. That's kind of encouraging."
Hafner will get an MRI today in Cleveland.
"I've never had anything like it," said Hafner. "I'm not sure if it's a DL thing or not."
Hafner is hitting .345 (39-for-113) with eight doubles, five homers and 22 RBI.
GM Chris Antonetti and manager Manny Acta spent a lot of time in spring training saying that the one thing they feared was injury because of their limited depth of quality players and the difficulty in going
outside the organization to acquire more talent.
It appears they weathered the first wave of injuries to starting pitchers Mitch Talbot and Carlos Carrasco in good form. Center fielder Grady Sizemore (right knee) went on the disabled list Monday. Now they are dealing with injuries to Hafner and Travis Buck (turf toe).
Luis Valbuena was recalled from Class AAA Columbus. Reliever Justin Germano was designated for assignment to make room.
"We're in the middle of a tough part of the schedules where we're facing good pitching and good teams," said Antonetti.
Tonight, the Indians open a three-game series against the National League Central-leading Reds at Progressive Field. The resurgent Red Sox arrive Monday for a three-game set. Then the Indians play the AL East-leading Rays, a solid Toronto club and the AL West-leading Rangers.
He's back: Valbuena was hitting .270 (31-115) with 18 runs, 10 doubles, four homers and 21 RBI for Columbus. He played 17 games at shortstop, six games at third base, four in the outfield, four at DH and one at second base.
He hit .324 (12-37) with runners in scoring position for the Clippers.
"I've been playing all over and I like it," said Valbuena.
Valbuena opened last year as the Indians' starting second baseman, but quickly lost the job. He hit .191 (53-for-275) with 22 runs, 12 doubles, two homers and 24 RBI.
Germano was 0-1 with a 5.68 ERA in nine appearances as the Indians' long man. They have 10 days to trade, release or put him on waivers.
The Germano move leaves Acta with a six-man bullpen. It's unclear how long he will stay with that.
New citizen: Acta, a citizen of the United States and Dominican Republic, knows how Orlando Cabrera feels. He became a U.S. citizen in 1999.
"I know Orlando is very happy and excited," said Acta. "I went through it. It is a great moment. We all appreciate the type of life that we can live here."
Cabrera, a native of Colombia, lives in South Carolina.
Ambassador Baerga: Former Tribe second baseman Carlos Baerga will represent the Indians next month at the amateur draft. The draft starts June 6, and the Indians have the eighth overall pick.
Finally: Outfielder Ezequiel Carrera was taken out of the Columbus lineup Thursday. He could be headed to Cleveland today if Buck or Hafner goes on the disabled list. Carrera is hitting .317 (45-for-142) with 33 runs, five doubles, 17 RBI and 15 steals in 17 attempts. . . . Asdrubal Cabrera was leading AL shortstops in homers (seven), RBI (27), runs (27) and hits (48). . . . ESPN's "Monday Night Baseball" will feature the Indians and Red Sox at Progressive Field. Former Indians Aaron Boone and Rick Sutcliffe will be part of the broadcast team. . . . The Indians reported the wrong attendance for May 11 vs. the Rays. It should have been 16,336.
On deck: Indians vs. Cincinnati Reds
When: Tonight through Sunday.
Where: Progressive Field.
TV/radio: SportsTime Ohio; WTAM AM/1100.
Pitching matchups: RHP Alex White (1-0, 3.75 ERA) vs. LHP Travis Wood (3-3, 5.01) tonight at 7:05; RHP Josh Tomlin (5-1, 2.56) vs. RHP Homer Bailey (3-0, 1.89) Saturday at 4:05 p.m.; and RHP Carlos Carrasco (2-2, 5.03) vs. RHP Edinson Volquez (3-1, 5.59) Sunday at 1:05 p.m.
Season series: The Indians lost four of six games against Cincinnati last year. Cincinnati leads, 35-34, overall.
Indians update: The Indians have lost their past three season series against Cincinnati. Carlos Santana (.400, 4-for-10, two home runs, four RBI) and Shin-Soo Choo (.391, 9-for-23, four home runs, seven RBI) hit well against the Reds last year.
Reds update: Jonny Gomes is expected to DH for the Reds this weekend. Brandon Phillips, former Indians second baseman, leads the Reds with 26 RBI this year. He hit .400 (10-for-25) with one home run, and two RBI against his former club last year. Scott Rolen had three homers and eight RBI.
Injuries: Indians -- OF Grady Sizemore (right knee), RHP Mitch Talbot (right elbow), OF Trevor Crowe (right shoulder) and INF Jared Goedert (oblique) are on the disabled list. DH Travis Hafner (right ribs) and OF Travis Buck (left toe) are day to day. Reds -- RHP Jared Burton (right shoulder) and LHP Aroldis Chapman (left shoulder) are on the disabled list.
Next: Boston visits for a three-game series starting Monday.
Published: Friday, May 20, 2011, 3:25 AM Updated: Friday, May 20, 2011, 4:03 AM
By Paul Hoynes, The Plain Dealer
CHICAGO, Ill. — One swing of the bat could have a lot to say on how long the Indians remain baseball's feel-good story.
Travis Hafner was in his third round of batting practice before Wednesday's game against the White Sox at U.S. Cellular Field. He took a swing like any other swing, but it did not end well.
"It was just one swing in BP," said Hafner, after the Indians' 8-2 loss to Chicago on Thursday. "I took one swing, and it was really painful. Then I couldn't swung anymore."
Hafner didn't play Wednesday or Thursday as Chicago swept the Indians. The Indians haven't identified the injury, but Hafner said: "It's a possible oblique [strain]. We're not sure yet. We'll get it checked out when we get back to Cleveland."
The Indians, who lead the American League Central at 26-15, returned home after Thursday's loss. If the injury is a strained oblique muscle, Hafner could be on the disabled list for between four and six weeks.
"One of the big things was how it felt [Thursday] morning," said Hafner. "It wasn't worse. That's kind of encouraging."
Hafner will get an MRI today in Cleveland.
"I've never had anything like it," said Hafner. "I'm not sure if it's a DL thing or not."
Hafner is hitting .345 (39-for-113) with eight doubles, five homers and 22 RBI.
GM Chris Antonetti and manager Manny Acta spent a lot of time in spring training saying that the one thing they feared was injury because of their limited depth of quality players and the difficulty in going
outside the organization to acquire more talent.
It appears they weathered the first wave of injuries to starting pitchers Mitch Talbot and Carlos Carrasco in good form. Center fielder Grady Sizemore (right knee) went on the disabled list Monday. Now they are dealing with injuries to Hafner and Travis Buck (turf toe).
Luis Valbuena was recalled from Class AAA Columbus. Reliever Justin Germano was designated for assignment to make room.
"We're in the middle of a tough part of the schedules where we're facing good pitching and good teams," said Antonetti.
Tonight, the Indians open a three-game series against the National League Central-leading Reds at Progressive Field. The resurgent Red Sox arrive Monday for a three-game set. Then the Indians play the AL East-leading Rays, a solid Toronto club and the AL West-leading Rangers.
He's back: Valbuena was hitting .270 (31-115) with 18 runs, 10 doubles, four homers and 21 RBI for Columbus. He played 17 games at shortstop, six games at third base, four in the outfield, four at DH and one at second base.
He hit .324 (12-37) with runners in scoring position for the Clippers.
"I've been playing all over and I like it," said Valbuena.
Valbuena opened last year as the Indians' starting second baseman, but quickly lost the job. He hit .191 (53-for-275) with 22 runs, 12 doubles, two homers and 24 RBI.
Germano was 0-1 with a 5.68 ERA in nine appearances as the Indians' long man. They have 10 days to trade, release or put him on waivers.
The Germano move leaves Acta with a six-man bullpen. It's unclear how long he will stay with that.
New citizen: Acta, a citizen of the United States and Dominican Republic, knows how Orlando Cabrera feels. He became a U.S. citizen in 1999.
"I know Orlando is very happy and excited," said Acta. "I went through it. It is a great moment. We all appreciate the type of life that we can live here."
Cabrera, a native of Colombia, lives in South Carolina.
Ambassador Baerga: Former Tribe second baseman Carlos Baerga will represent the Indians next month at the amateur draft. The draft starts June 6, and the Indians have the eighth overall pick.
Finally: Outfielder Ezequiel Carrera was taken out of the Columbus lineup Thursday. He could be headed to Cleveland today if Buck or Hafner goes on the disabled list. Carrera is hitting .317 (45-for-142) with 33 runs, five doubles, 17 RBI and 15 steals in 17 attempts. . . . Asdrubal Cabrera was leading AL shortstops in homers (seven), RBI (27), runs (27) and hits (48). . . . ESPN's "Monday Night Baseball" will feature the Indians and Red Sox at Progressive Field. Former Indians Aaron Boone and Rick Sutcliffe will be part of the broadcast team. . . . The Indians reported the wrong attendance for May 11 vs. the Rays. It should have been 16,336.
On deck: Indians vs. Cincinnati Reds
When: Tonight through Sunday.
Where: Progressive Field.
TV/radio: SportsTime Ohio; WTAM AM/1100.
Pitching matchups: RHP Alex White (1-0, 3.75 ERA) vs. LHP Travis Wood (3-3, 5.01) tonight at 7:05; RHP Josh Tomlin (5-1, 2.56) vs. RHP Homer Bailey (3-0, 1.89) Saturday at 4:05 p.m.; and RHP Carlos Carrasco (2-2, 5.03) vs. RHP Edinson Volquez (3-1, 5.59) Sunday at 1:05 p.m.
Season series: The Indians lost four of six games against Cincinnati last year. Cincinnati leads, 35-34, overall.
Indians update: The Indians have lost their past three season series against Cincinnati. Carlos Santana (.400, 4-for-10, two home runs, four RBI) and Shin-Soo Choo (.391, 9-for-23, four home runs, seven RBI) hit well against the Reds last year.
Reds update: Jonny Gomes is expected to DH for the Reds this weekend. Brandon Phillips, former Indians second baseman, leads the Reds with 26 RBI this year. He hit .400 (10-for-25) with one home run, and two RBI against his former club last year. Scott Rolen had three homers and eight RBI.
Injuries: Indians -- OF Grady Sizemore (right knee), RHP Mitch Talbot (right elbow), OF Trevor Crowe (right shoulder) and INF Jared Goedert (oblique) are on the disabled list. DH Travis Hafner (right ribs) and OF Travis Buck (left toe) are day to day. Reds -- RHP Jared Burton (right shoulder) and LHP Aroldis Chapman (left shoulder) are on the disabled list.
Next: Boston visits for a three-game series starting Monday.