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http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/story/14946...-making-headway

For a team with no expectations, Indians are making headway


By Scott Miller
CBSSports.com Senior Writer

What in the name of the late, great Bob Feller is going on here?

The Cleveland Indians have stormed back from trailing 14-0 after four innings on opening day to win eight of their past 10 and seize first place in the AL Central.

Talk about a rapid turnabout, the likes of which would make Rapid Robert proud.

"For a team with no expectations from anybody -- from around the league, from the experts -- the wins have given us a lot of confidence that we can win on a regular basis," infielder Orlando Cabrera says. "It creates that environment in the clubhouse where we get surprised when we lose."

How about that for a cool 2011 motto? The Cleveland Indians: We're surprised when we lose.
Really, the only reason so many experts picked the Indians to finish fourth or fifth is because it's darned hard to pick a team sixth or seventh in a five-club division. Well, that and the presence of the Kansas City Royals, who currently are running second in this bizarro AL Central world.

Meanwhile, All-Star Grady Sizemore hasn't played since last May 16 because of a microfracture in his left knee, and Shin-Soo Choo (.200, .275 on-base percentage) and Carlos Santana (.205, .280 OBP) have yet to achieve liftoff.

So how in the world did the Indians roar to their best start since 2002?

And how did they build their longest winning streak since 2008?

Like this:

Too many Cabreras are confusing opponents

This is my theory. And with sweet-swinging shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera already at four homers and 10 RBI after hitting just 18 long balls in 1,415 major-league at-bats heading into the season, I'm sticking with it. Very clever move for the Tribe to add Orlando Cabrera at second base just before spring training.

Clearly, opponents are confusing the reports of their advance scouts.

"I think you're really close," starter Justin Masterson says. (I just knew there was a reason I've always liked him.) "They see Asdrubal Cabrera and say, 'We want to spin him' and they do and he hits a home run. Then they see Orlando and say, 'We'll give him a heater' and he's hitting to right field all day.

"And it could be worse. In spring training, we had [outfielder] Ezequiel Carrera. If we had Cabrera, Cabrera and Carrera, that would be really confusing."

Too much muscle from Asdrubal

Truth be told, the Cabrera overload has been hell on wheels for opponents partly because it was Orlando who suggested Asdrubal should swing harder.

"He told me in spring training, 'Hey, kid, you have good power. You can hit a couple of home runs this year,'" Asdrubal said.

What prompted the advice?

"He was swinging like a [wimp]," Orlando says. "Remember when he used to do this?"

With Asdrubal watching from the next locker, Orlando grabs a bat, moves into an exaggerated stance, chokes up halfway on the bat and scrunches his face into a clown-like expression.

No, Asdrubal is no longer choking up. He's swinging harder, no longer like a, ahem, wimp.

And has the early power surprised him?

"A little bit," says Asdrubal, who missed three months last year with a broken left forearm. "I feel more strong."

Too many good vibes from Travis Hafner

Look: .324 before Wednesday's 0 for 5 in Anaheim dropped him to .282, with two homers and six RBI. He hasn't hit over .300 in a season since 2006 (.308), he hasn't had more than 20 homers since '07 (24) and he hasn't smiled like this since early '08 (before a wrecked shoulder sent him to the surgeon's table).

"I feel better than in past years," says Hafner, 33, who conducted his regular winter workout routine this year for the first time since the winter of 2007-08, before the shoulder injury. "I was able to hit more over the winter, so I feel like I'm more prepared. I'm taking more swings. I'm not having to limit my swings to stay fresh."

True, Hafner and the Indians have barely scratched the surface of 162 games. But so far, so good.

Too much pitching and defense

Since Fausto Carmona's little opening day mishap, he, Masterson, Carlos Carrasco, Mitch Talbot and Josh Tomlin have combined to post a 2.57 ERA. And the bullpen has checked in at 2.10. Cleveland has allowed the fourth-fewest home runs in the AL and is holding opposing batters to a .214 average.

The Indians' .989 fielding percentage is the AL's best and, through midweek, the two errors committed by their infielders were the fewest of any major-league infield. Jack Hannahan, who inherited third base when Jason Donald suffered a broken left hand this spring, has been impressive.

"Our pitching has really picked up where it left off last year, throwing first-pitch strikes and working deeper into games," manager Manny Acta said. "And defensively, there's no comparison with where we were -- when you add Orlando Cabrera, Adam Everett, Hannahan and Asdrubal."

Too much picking up where they left off

For any team, early wins are important, period. For a young team like the Indians, who went 35-39 after the All-Star break last summer, wins are like oxygen.

"We really hammered on our guys in spring training about our second half success last year," Acta said. "And by winning in our first 10 games, that gives more weight to it. If we started horribly, whatever we told them in spring training would be thrown off the cliff."

Instead, it feels like they're building something.

Now all they need is to win back a fan base that largely has stopped showing up (worst attendance in the majors last year) and bring back Sizemore, who is on an injury-rehab assignment with Triple-A Columbus. No official word yet on his return, but he's "close."

"Believe me," Acta says. "We'll announce it in enough time that we can get Grady's Ladies to the ballpark.

"That's a big boost."

Kinda funny how the media start jumping on after a few weeks ...... lol

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/joe_sheehan/04/14/cleveland.indians/index.html

Joe Sheehan>INSIDE BASEBALL
More ColumnsEmail Joe Sheehan
The Indians aren't as good as they look, but they may be good enough

Though they haven't been the best team in the American League -- the Rangers have a better record by a game -- the Indians have certainly been baseball's most pleasant surprise in the season's first two weeks. Picked to finish fourth in the AL Central and as one of the half-dozen worst teams in the game, the Tribe has gotten off to an 8-4 start thanks to some surprising hitting and a significant improvement in their pitching staff.

This story could not have been foreseen during the season's opening series. On Opening Day, the Indians fell behind the White Sox 14-0 in the fourth inning on their way to a 15-10 loss. The next day they were down 5-0 before coming to the plate a second time, going on to an 8-3 defeat. It seemed like the preseason pessimism, focused in no small part on the pitching staff, was playing out in the early season cold by Lake Erie. The Indians allowed 23 runs in the season's first two games...and have allowed just 20 in the next 10, going 8-2.

During that run Indians pitchers have struck out 68 men and walked just 34 (two intentionally) for a K/BB of 2-to-1. This is a staff that just a year ago was last in the AL in strikeouts and had the second-most walks allowed in the league, with far and away the worst K/BB in MLB (10 percent worse than the Royals at No. 29). They're doing this with all the same guys, too: Of the 12 pitchers who have taken the mound for the Indians, only Chad Durbin pitched for another organization in 2010. Mitch Talbot had a 1.28 K/BB last year; it's 2.20 to start 2011;
Fausto Carmona jumped from 1.72 to 2.50; Justin Masterson improved from 1.92 to 3.00. The Indians' starters, save for Josh Tomlin, are throwing more strikes and issuing fewer free
passes. They're also allowing the lowest line-drive rate -- 13.6% of balls in play -- in MLB.
These numbers reflect a change in skills that has shown up on the scoreboard.

Cleveland is catching some breaks as well. The Indians have allowed the third-lowest batting average on balls in play (.244) and sixth-lowest rate of homers allowed on fly balls (6.5%) in MLB. They and the Rangers are the only teams to be in the top quarter of MLB in both categories. The low BABIP is a combination of things -- the Indians defense is better this year, with Michael Brantley playing well in center field, Jhonny Peralta no longer around in the infield, and a healthy Asdrubal Cabrera at shortstop. The low line-drive rate is also a factor; line drives become hits about 70 percent of the time, so cutting down on them helps your defense. The home run rate is more fluky, in part attributable to an early-season slate of games heavy on cold weather and cold offenses. With Carmona, Masterson and Talbot, the Indians do have the makings of a groundball staff that would help them keep more balls in the yard.

The offense, third in the AL in runs scored with 56, is also a mix of demonstrated skills and fluky performances. Asdrubal Cabrera, coming off a disappointing, injury-plagued 2010 season, has shown surprising early-season power, with four homers and a .612 SLG. That's unlikely to continue. Orlando Cabrera has chipped in with a .295 AVG and .386 SLG, also unlikely to be sustained. On the other hand, Brantley may be showing the leadoff skills that helped make him part of the haul for CC Sabathia, with five walks and a .373 OBP.

Perhaps the best news for the offense is who hasn't yet participated. The team's best player, Shin-Soo Choo, is at .200/.275/.267. Carlos Santana, a stud as a rookie before suffering a season-ending knee injury, is hitting .205/.280/.273. The player the Indians built around, Grady Sizemore, is still working his way back from microfracture surgery and has yet to play in the majors this year. The Indians are fifth in the league in runs scored, and may have some upside from that ranking even when the Cabreras come back to earth.

The Indians aren't a .700 baseball team, and projecting them as even a .500 club takes some doing. You can see the core of a fringe contender here, especially on offense, and the pitching has shown enough in the early going to engender optimism. Maybe the best news for the Tribe is how unimpressive their competition has been. Between the White Sox' woes in the bullpen, the Twins' problems scoring runs and the Tigers' rotation issues, none of the expected AL Central bullies have stepped up in the early going. The Indians' upside is a tick above .500, and suddenly, that upside comes with the possibility of contention deep into the season. The Indians are a story in April; they could end up a much bigger one in September.

Run support has tapered off of late, let's not make this a reocurring habit.

10 spot Friday night

Well, hitting will always come and go throughout the course of a season. I'm most encouraged by how we've pitched so far. Hopefully, THAT will continue because then, when we do hit, we'll win plenty of games.

J/C

hey, if a team keeps their mega-superstar and signs him to a huge contract extension that could inhibit them signing other players on their team down the road, nothing bad could happen, right? right?

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When the Washington Nationals drafted Bryce Harper last year the first thing they did was to tell him his catching days were over. His bat, they reasoned, was too valuable to keep out of the lineup for needed days of rest or, worse, be diminished by the wear and tear of catching. He became an outfielder. His agent, Scott Boras, agreed, and even wondered about the wear and tear on good-hitting catchers such as Matt Wieters and Joe Mauer.

Now the worst fears for the Twins seem all too close to being real: Is Mauer breaking down?

At age 28, and in the first year of a contract that will pay him $23 million a year through age 35, Mauer was placed on the disabled list Thursday night with "bilateral leg weakness," a condition that may be related to the soreness in his hips, elbow and shoulder he experienced this year, if not the offseason knee surgery that kept him out of most of spring training, if not the inflammation in his back that required him to see a specialist in 2009, the same specialist he will see for the weakness in his legs.

Here is a list of the major physical ailments Mauer has suffered since becoming a big leaguer:

2004: Surgery to repair a torn medial meniscus in left knee.

2007: Stress reaction in left fibula.

2008: Surgery for a minor kidney obstruction.

2009: Inflammation in the sacroiliac joint (back).

2010: Bruised left heel; right shoulder tendinitis; tissue inflammation in left knee; offseason arthroscopic surgery on left knee.

2011: Bilateral leg weakness; soreness in hips, elbow and shoulder.

When Mauer signed his $184 million deal last year, one GM remarked, "That's an awful lot of money for a guy who never has driven in 100 runs or scored 100 runs." Being a catcher, which requires days off and exacts a physical toll, Mauer has missed an average of 43 games per year in his seven major league seasons.

Mauer is one of the best pure hitters in the game, a three-time batting champion. This latest injury may turn out to be nothing major. Perhaps his lack of work in spring training left him ill prepared to handle the rigors of catching regular season games. (He has caught only nine games so far and hit .235.) Perhaps with rest and physical therapy he can get back to the team soon.

But no matter the prognosis, on the heels of the third significant injury for Mauer in the past 17 months, the Twins at least have to begin to wonder how much longer can they leave their best hitter and $23-million a year investment behind the plate.



Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/wr...l#ixzz1Jbu89dwz

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So, going in to a new ballpark, were they not supposed to do all they could to keep Mauer, their hometown kid? They did what they had to do.

I question the trade last year for Matt Capps in which they gave up Wilson Ramos... who would have been the next in line - and a good one - to move Mauer from behind the plate.

Quite simply, they have to get him out from behind the plate at this point or he won't make it more than a couple more years.

yeah, he's a really good catcher too, but that guy is such a great athlete, that i think they could probably put him almost anywhere on the field, and he'd adapt.

I think that it is crazy for one player to make 1/4 the current team salary and have that player locked into that salary for the next 7 years as well (up to his 35th birthday). Especially one with his injury history.

The Yankees, Red Sox, etc. can afford to pay a player whose value is likely diminishing over time like that. The Twins simply cannot (watch what happens in only year2 of that ballpark if they don't start winning games soon). It is going to cripple them going forward (IMO).

I had this debate with someone on a different board who was simultaneously saying the Hafner signing was bad, but the Mauer signing was good.

In case anyone feels that way, I'd like to debunk it right here. I have to argue that either both were good signings or both were bad as they are virtually the same hitter and Mauer has greater injury concerns (at the time of signing extension) and may end up moving to DH anyway (possibly OF, but OFs with bad knees are not a good option either and the Twins already have a 1B)

Here's the last of the back-n-forth:

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That’s the problem; the Indians kept Hafner…Travis Hafner. Not a Cy Young Winner. Not an AL batting champion. He is a perpetual DH/sometime 1st baseman. Mauer is a major position player.

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Yes, the Indians kept Travis Hafner. Yes, he was known to be a DH. But, let’s not get all revisionist history just because he wasn’t a “batting champion”

His OPS+ in seasons 04/05/06 were 162/168/181. That is ridiculous. He was hitting over .300 and hitting over 70+ extra base hits each of those seasons (his OPS+ went up in 06 because doubles were becoming HRs). And, let’s not forget that OBP is more important than BA and Hafner’s were great in that run: .410/.408/.439

In comparison, Mauer has gone over 160 in OPS+ once in his career (170 in ’09). 2009 was also the year he hit his most extra base hits, which was 58. His BA is always high, which gives him praise, but his 3yr OBP was right in line with Hafner’s before each of their extensions (.413/.444/.402)

Also, through 2007 (season his last extension was signed), he did not have the injury concerns that Mauer has and as a DH they were not expected.

I just don’t see how one can say the Hafner signing was bad and the Mauer one is good as they are in principle done for the same reasons in the same way (they already have a 1B, so if they move him from catcher, guess what, he’s probably a DH too). Mauer being a catcher is what gave him a bigger contract than what Hafner got, but I don’t think either one was a smart signing.

Note: Mauers next best OPS+ was in 2006 at 144.

Got their 9th win in 13 tries. Hafner went deep in a 8-2 beatdown.

did it against a guy who was red hot this year. first loss for britton.

way to bounce back tho

Yet another quality start for a Tribe pitcher.

I could easily get used to this.

"Maybe these guys ain't so (expletive) bad."

Even the 2 losses Carrasco went 7 giving up 3 runs against the Angels, and Carmona went 7.2, giving up 2 runs.

Our pitching has been superb thus far.

j/c

Have to say I went down to the game last night. It was a blast. Masterson's stuff was filthy again. What we were really talking about is that the team is 9-4, but it doesn't even really have all of its position players in place or playing well (Choo, Santana, Sizemore, even Kearns is capable of more; all the young prospects, of which a few have to work out). On the flip side, we do have two veteran 3rd basemen playing above their heads. While I don't think the pitching will continue to be this superb, I do think that most of these guys aren't overachieving; esp. Masterson, Carmona, Carrasco, and Chris Perez.

People were into the game, and high fiving each other. (Partly b/c of the concert) downtown felt very alive. Its nice to see that.

Was the park full? Honestly, the Tribe might be able to pull off a bit of their 1995 fortunes if they play their cards right. NFL is in flux with the potential lockout. Lebron left the NBA fans in shock (plus another lockout looming) ... Tribe might be the top ticket in town again.

The lower bowl was about 3/4 full. I don't know the attendance, but they sold 26,000 hot dogs.

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Honestly, the Tribe might be able to pull off a bit of their 1995 fortunes if they play their cards right. NFL is in flux with the potential lockout. Lebron left the NBA fans in shock (plus another lockout looming) ... Tribe might be the top ticket in town again.

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That's exactly what my buddy said. I absolutely agree that the potential is there for them to draw more attendence if they can at least stay in the realm of contention.

16,346. 1st time they topped 10k since the opener.

scedule/results/attendance

10-4


Tribe is looking solid in all facets right now.

Keep the wins coming!

Sox, Twins, and Tigers have to be really scratching their heads. Indians and Royals both 10-4.

So .... if you're Manny Acta, do you automatically put Sizemore back into the leadoff spot ..... or do you leave Brantley there and bat Sizemore in a different spot? Either way, the lineup gets just that much better if Sizemore is healthy and ready to go.

http://www.cbssports.com/#!/mlb/story/14954598/sizemore-could-return-to-indians-lineup-within-days

Sizemore could return to Indians lineup within days

CBSSports.com wire reports
April 16, 2011
CLEVELAND -- Grady Sizemore is ready and raring to play.

Now, it's up to the Cleveland Indians when that happens.

Sizemore could be activated from the disabled list in the next two days and return to the lineup after being sidelined for nearly a year after having microfracture surgery on his left knee. Indians manager Manny Acta would not give a specific day on when Sizemore will officially be back.

This much is known. It's real close.
"I can't rule out anything," Acta said Saturday before the Indians played the Orioles. "We don't know when, but it's going to be soon."

Sizemore hasn't played in the majors since last May 16, when he injured the knee sliding back to first base in Baltimore. Three days later, he went on the disabled list, and on June 4 he had season-ending surgery that threatened his career.

The climb back has been excruciating for Sizemore, who hasn't been able to play a full season since 2008. The months of grueling rehab and recovery are nearly complete, and now that it's nearly finished, Sizemore can't wait for it to finally be over.

"It's been tough because it's been so long," Sizemore said. "But we've been patient this whole way and I understand the need not to rush things when we get down to the final couple days. I feel good. That's the most important thing."

The Indians' plan was to have Sizemore go through another full workout for the club's training staff before they make their next move with the three-time All-Star. He has been testing his knee in the minor leagues, most recently with Triple-A Columbus.

Sizemore hasn't had any setbacks as he has gradually increased his workload. He's running, cutting and sliding -- all without pain.

"The knee has been really consistent the last month or so," Sizemore said. "With more games played and back-to-back games and getting more work in the outfield, it seems to be consistent with how it feels the next day or after a game or after a day off.

"It's holding steady right now, which is good."

Sizemore's return will force the Indians to make a roster move. The most likely candidate is Travis Buck, whose batting .143 and has a minor league option remaining.

Once he's officially back, Sizemore will undoubtedly resume playing center field and batting leadoff. That means Michael Brantley will have to move to left field and drop in the order. Brantley is off to a strong start, batting .333 with a .400 on-base percentage in 13 games.

Sizemore said he doesn't care where he hits.

"It's tough because the team is swinging real well right now," he said. "Manny knows I'm good with whatever, whether it's leadoff or anywhere else. They're going to sit down and figure out what's best for the team."

Sizemore expects the Indians to slowly build up his work load.

"I think they'll be very, very careful," he said. "I don't imagine I'm going to go out there and play seven games in seven days the first week. I don't see them throwing me out there six or seven days in a row. I think they're going to take it easy on me."

Sizemore anticipates playing two or three days in a row and the Indians using off days to get him more down time until he gets stronger.

At 9-4, the Indians are off to their best start since 2002 and tied for first with Kansas City in the AL Central. The team's playing well, and Acta believes the Indians can only benefit by Sizemore's return.

"Regardless of what type of lineup you have," Acta said, "when you add Grady Sizemore to any lineup, any team in America, you're adding to it. Is that an understatement?"

Looks like they are going to make me eat my words.

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So .... if you're Manny Acta, do you automatically put Sizemore back into the leadoff spot ..... or do you leave Brantley there and bat Sizemore in a different spot? Either way, the lineup gets just that much better if Sizemore is healthy and ready to go.

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I actually think this is a win-win situation. It all depends on how far back Sizemore can come. If he comes back at full speed, then I would be comfortable with him leading off. But if he is significantly slowed by the surgery while maintaining some of his power, he makes more sense in a lower spot where he can hit with guys on base more often.

Brantley seems to make a good leadoff hitter. But if Sizemore were full speed and leading off, Brantley at the bottom of the lineup wouldn't be bad at all. Then you would have a high OBP guy setting the table for Sizemore the second time through the lineup.

Yep .... it's a nice problem to have.

We also have quite an infield at Columbus. However. I don't want Chisenhall coming up until he is completely ready to go as the 3rd baseman for thie team. He made quite a few errors last year in the minors, and I don't want to see the pitching staff get blown up by a defensive liability. Once he has 3rd base down to an art, then bring him up and plug him in.

For what it's worth, here's how I'd fill out your lineup card...

Brantley
Cabrera
Sizemore
Choo
Hafner
Santana
Cabrera
LaPorta
Hannahan

Things are working too well right now to change things too much... which it would by plopping a guy in at leadoff that hasn't played in a year. Their has been talk for years about where Sizemore should bat - 3 hole or leadoff... well, here's your chance to find out. I think the older he gets, no matter how healthy he is right now, he's going to have to turn into more of a run producer than table-setter.

This also let's Santana slide down in the order and establish himself. You guys have been great, but he's done nothing outside of the first game or two - that cleanup pressure I think is making him press, that wouldn't be an issue lower in the order. He's simply too good of a hitter to not bust out of it.

The only potential problem with my lineup is the middle being lefty heavy... but that's the way your roster is set up.

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However. I don't want Chisenhall coming up until he is completely ready to go as the 3rd baseman for thie team. He made quite a few errors last year in the minors, and I don't want to see the pitching staff get blown up by a defensive liability. Once he has 3rd base down to an art, then bring him up and plug him in.

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I agree. It doesn't hurt either that they seem to have enough bats to win without him right now, so they can afford to wait on him a bit. That also helps the Indians long term, as he they will likely get another year before he can go to arbitration if he comes up after June 1.

Our pitching staff is built around getting ground ball outs ...... so if we plunk a defensive liability in at 3rd before he's ready, we hurt every pitcher on our staff. It's good that Hannahan has done such a nice job defensively. He's not hitting for great average, but he has 7 runs scored, 6 RBI, and 0 strike outs in 10 games. He seems to have a pretty good approach at the plate, so we'll have to see if that translates to a higher average as the season wears on.

Tribe

Shout out al central teams below 100 mill, way to buck the trend

How about Boston at 3-10? Well, they only spent $160 million to get there.

The Mets spent $120 million to get to 4-11.

White Sox? In 3rd place with a $129 million payroll.

Cubs? Better than some of their high dollar compatriots. They are 7-7 with a $126 million payroll.

Hopefully they all do terribly this year. I am so sick and tired of certain teams, inn certain cities, being able to buy whatever the hell they want while other really good baseball fans have to suffer because their teams just cannot pony up $100 million + payrolls and remain in business.

I would love to see a postseason where no team with a $100 million + payroll gets there. It could happen if ....

Toronto
Cleveland
Texas
(WildCard) KC

Florida
Cincinnati
Colorado
(WildCard) Brewers


That would be great. The networks would have a fit. There would be massive and continuous whining on ESPN. Maybe then there could be some sanity restored to Baseball ..... with a real salary cap (and floor) .... and a real attempt to allow for true salary competitiveness throughout the league.

Could you imagine if a free agent had to choose between maybe .... KC and the Yankees ..... but KC could actually offer him more? How abut if the Yankees couldn't just go buy more and more players to replace players they make mistakes on? That would be so much better for Baseball as a whole.

A breath of fresh air, into a monetarily saturated pastime

No way should we throw Sizemore into the #1 spot right away...Not for at least a month...

Brantley
Cabrera
Choo
Hafner
Santana
Sizemore
Cabrera
LaPorta
Hannahan

Ahhhhhhhhh, April......the Tribe fans are still giddy and their threads go long. April.

Actually, we are usually hip-deep in reality in April when you consider that the last time we had a winning record in April was 2007 (14-8). One of Eric Wedge's biggest shortcomings was that his teams hardly ever came out of the gate well. Will they be there in September? Probably not ... but it could happen (see 2007). In the meantime, its nice to see some optimism and some Cleveland fans feeling good about their team, instead of just the usual grousing about cheap owners and MLB's financial inequities.

Indians’ Sizemore activated from DL

The Sports Xchange 21 minutes ago

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Cleveland Indians center fielder Grady Sizemore(notes) has been activated from the 15-day disabled list and will bat leadoff on Sunday afternoon against the Orioles.

Sizemore, 28, missed the first two weeks of the season recovering from micro-fracture surgery on his left knee, which he underwent on June 4 of last year. His last major league game came on May 16 before he was shelved with the knee injury.

Sizemore hit .353 with one home run and four RBI during his five-game rehab assignment between AA Akron and AAA Columbus. He went 1-3 with a solo home run in his final rehab game on April 14.

The Indians placed right-hander Mitch Talbot(notes) on the 15-day disabled list with a strained right elbow. Talbot had a great start to the season, going 1-0 with a 1.46 ERA in two starts. He's expected to miss three to four weeks.

The Indians will need to make another transaction in the next few days to add a fifth starter to their rotation. Potential call-ups include Jeanmar Gomez(notes) and David Huff(notes) from Columbus.

web page

I don't want to see any more of David Huff. He's terrible.

Man, that sucks about Talbot. I hope he comes back 100%.

Welcome back Grady Sizemore!

HR in the 3rd to make it 2-0 Tribe!

And Carmona's stuff looks real good today. Hope he keeps it up.