Tomlin's misstep costly in Indians' loss Hitting Miller with pitch sets up five-run fifth inning By Jordan Bastian / MLB.com | @MLBastian | 2:45 AM ET PHOENIX -- was giving away an out and Indians starter Josh Tomlin planned on taking him up on the offer. That was until the that spun from Tomlin's fingertips betrayed him, sailing high and inside and striking Miller in the chest. The Chase Field crowd unleashed some boos, but this was not malicious on Tomlin's part. It was simply a misstep, and a costly one in Cleveland's7-3 loss to the D-backs on Friday night. Instead of inducing a sacrifice bunt, Tomlin gave Miller a base, and Arizona capitalized with a five-run inning that sent the Tribe to its first loss of 2017. "You obviously want to get an out when a guy's giving you an out," Tomlin said. "He's sacrificing himself to move the guy to second base, so it kind of changed the whole dynamic of that inning." Tomlin had already been teetering before his game-changing mistake. After cruising through the first three innings, Tomlin flinched in the fourth. A walk to slugger Paul Goldschmidt helped set up a two-run outburst, which was highlighted by a Yasmany Tomas double off the wall in center. With Cleveland clinging to a 3-2 lead, Nick Ahmed led off the fifth with an infield single -- one with only a 14-percent hit probability, per Statcast™. Given the situation, a sac bunt was in order for Miller, who fouled off the first attempt before squaring around for another. Tomlin fired an 0-1 changeup, and the D-backs' quickly maneuvered out of the way, as the baseball flew near his face. That put runners on first and second with no outs, and the top of the D-backs' order loomed. "He started out good," Indians manager Terry Francona said of Tomlin. "When we got into the middle innings, they're trying to give us the out with the bunt and he hit him. Any time things like that happen, it doesn't bode real well for the inning." Tomlin nearly escaped, though. A.J. Pollock, Arizona's leadoff man, took three pitches and then swung through a 1-2 cutter for a . David Peralta followed with another strikeout, watching a sinker for the decisive pitch. The baserunners remained idle, but that sequence brought Goldschmidt back to the batter's box. Francona had a decision to make: Go to his bullpen or trust Tomlin? In his career, Tomlin had allowed an .833 OPS to batters the third time through the order. "It's the fifth inning," Francona said. "Whatever his history is, there's so much belief in him. I think he's earned that. If it's later in the game, that's different. But, in the fifth, if we start going to out bullpen and are matching up, we're going to run into a problem at some point." Francona stuck with Tomlin, who gave up a two-run double to Goldschmidt that pushed the D-backs ahead, 4-3. Jake Lamb followed with an RBI single to right field, convincing the Indians manager to pull the plug on Tomlin's outing. Reliever Dan Otero did not fare much better, allowing two more runs to cross the plate to put Cleveland in a hole it could not overcome. "That's what a good team does," D-backs manager Torey Lovullo said. "They take advantage of those mistakes." When the dust settled, Tomlin was charged with six runs in 4 2/3 innings. A lot of the damage could be traced back to one errant changeup. "When they give you an out like that," Tomlin said, "you need to take it." Jordan Bastian has covered the Indians for MLB.com since 2011, and previously covered the Blue Jays from 2006-10. Read his blog,

Kipnis itching to return from disabled list Tribe second baseman could begin rehab stint Sunday By Jordan Bastian / MLB.com | @MLBastian | 3:03 AM ET PHOENIX -- After spending seven weeks in Arizona for , it was a little strange for the Indians to return to the desert for their second series of the season. The unusual scheduling worked out just fine for Jason Kipnis. "I'm bored out of my mind," Kipnis quipped on Friday. Prior to Friday's game against the D-backs, Kipnis joined his teammates at Chase Field, where the sidelined second baseman went through a workout. Kipnis, who is on the 10-day disabled list due to a right shoulder issue, took batting practice on the field and went through a series of game scenarios to simulate throws to each base. Kipnis said his shoulder feels "100-percent now" and he is scheduled to begin his Minor League rehab assignment soon. Indians manager Terry Francona noted that Kipnis would depart Arizona on Saturday and serve as the designated hitter for Double-A Akron on Sunday. If all goes well, Kipnis would play second for Akron on Monday before taking a scheduled day off. "He needs some at-bats," Francona said. "And he's coming back from rehabbing his shoulder, so we don't want to rush [him]. I don't think at- bats wise it's probably going to take him a lot, but we've probably got to get him out there where he plays back-to-back games defensively. I don't think that's going to take forever." While Kipnis is set to join Double-A Akron, right fielder Lonnie Chisenhall (also on the 10-day DL with a right shoulder issue) was due to begin his Minor League rehab as a DH for Triple-A Columbus on Friday night. The Indians are hopeful that Chisenhall will be ready to be activated in time for Tuesday's home opener. Kipnis' comeback is expected to take a little longer. "We'll try to get as many at-bats util we can get our timing," Kipnis said. "I think we'll see how the first five or six games go, or something, whatever it may take. If I look good after five games, I'm sure I'll be yelling at them to let me up." When they return, Cleveland might have some tough roster decisions to make. Outfielder made the Opening Day roster in light of Chisenhall's injury, and third baseman Yandy Diaz made the team with Kipnis out. Both Almonte and Diaz have played well out of the gates for the Tribe. "If things stay like they are," Francona said, "somebody's going to get sent down that doesn't deserve it. That's probably a good problem to have for the organization. It'll be a tough conversation." Kipnis, who has been rehabbing in Arizona, kept a close eye on the Indians during their season-opening sweep fo the Rangers in Texas. He has been impressed by what he has seen, especially given that two of the wins were come-from-behind victories. "They look good right now," Kipnis said. "To have that kind of fight already in the first series, it's fun to watch and exactly what you want in the team."

Fast-starting Tribe fizzle vs. D-backs By Steve Gilbert and Jordan Bastian / MLB.com | 2:48 AM ET PHOENIX -- For the first three innings, the D-backs' offense can look pretty pedestrian, but once they come up for the second time in a game, they seem to find their stride. That was evident again Friday night as they once again rallied, this time from a three-run deficit, to beat the Indians, 7-3, at Chase Field. The loss was the first of the year for the Indians, who swept the Rangers earlier this week. Arizona has trailed in each of its five game this season and has come back to win four of them thanks to its offense. Of the 34 runs the D-backs have scored this year, just one has come in the first three innings. They've scored 25 in innings four through six and eight in innings seven through nine. "There's no miracle to it," D-backs manager Torey Lovullo said. "Everybody knows the more you face somebody the more familiar you get with them and their arm angle and release point and that's what good hitters do. Good hitters pay attention, they talk and they share information. Once they lock into that it's impressive to watch these guys go to work." Francisco Lindor hit his third homer in the last two games in the first inning to get the Indians off to a good start, while Carlos Santana added a two-run single in the second. The D-backs, though, scored a pair of runs in the fourth before breaking through for five runs in the fifth. Shelby Miller (1-0) picked up the win for the D-backs while Josh Tomlin (0-1) took the loss for the Indians. MOMENTS THAT MATTERED That'll leave a mark: After Nick Ahmed led off the bottom of the fifth with a single up the middle, Miller squared around to try to sacrifice him to second. But Tomlin uncorked a pitch that nearly hit Miller in the face. As he turned away the ball hit him in the upper left chest. It would prove costly because if the Indians had gotten an out there then when Tomlin fanned the next two hitters the inning would've been over. Instead the D-backs scored five runs in the inning. "Obviously, I'm not trying to hit him right there. I'm wanting to get an out," Tomlin said. "I just was in my delivery and let the ball go and it just kind of sailed out of my hand. That doesn't usually happen very often for me. It was one of those kind of freak deals. But, by no means am I Settling in: After giving up the two-run single to Santana in the second inning, Miller knuckled down and the Indians were just 1-for-14 against him the rest of his outing. For Miller, he won his first start of the season. A year ago, in his first with Arizona, he didn't win his first game until his seventh start. As for the Tribe, during their three-game sweep against Texas, the Indians scored 11 of their 21 runs in the seventh inning or later. Cleveland had no such luck against Arizona. More >> "Remember it's his first start," Lovullo said. "These guys are a little excited and takes them a little while probably to settle into their outing. He really locked things down. He really rebounded well." QUOTABLE "They're trying to give us the out with the bunt and he hit him. Any time things like that happen, it doesn't bode real well for the inning." -- Indians manager Terry Francona, on Tomlin hitting Miller in the fifth WHAT'S NEXT Indians: Right-hander Trevor Bauer -- picked third overall in the 2011 MLB Draft by the D-backs -- will take the mound at Chase Field for the first time since July 8, 2012. The Indians starter (acquired by the Tribe in December of '12) is scheduled to make his season debut in an 8:10 p.m. ET tilt against Arizona on Saturday. D-backs: Zack Greinke will get the ball for the second time this year when the D-backs play host to the Indians on Saturday night at 5:10 p.m. MST. Greinke did not get a decision in Arizona's Opening Day victory.

Bauer gets rare start against former club By Jordan Bastian / MLB.com | 1:03 AM ET The last time Trevor Bauer took the mound at Chase Field, D-backs' fans were dreaming about what he might become for their team. On Saturday, Bauer will return as a member of the Indians for a rare start against the club that drafted him. It will mark the season debut for Bauer, who will pitch opposite D-backs ace Zack Greinke in the second game of the Interleague series. Arizona dealt Bauer -- its top pick in the 2011 MLB Draft -- to Cleveland in December of '12, and he has developed into an innings eater for Cleveland's talented rotation. With the D-backs, Bauer did not always see eye to eye with the team about his approach and training methods. It was a brief and tumultuous tenure with Arizona. Now in his fifth season with the Indians, Bauer has continued on his own philosophical path, while also working well with Cleveland's staff. "Like a lot of young players, he's made a lot of adjustments," Indians manager Terry Francona said. "Like everybody, we've tried to give our opinion, listen to their opinion, and try to meet in the middle, which is what we generally try to do anyway. He's been good about that." Greinke will be making his second outing of the season, following a decent effort on Opening Day against the Giants. In that five-inning start, the righty allowed two runs -- one on a by San Francisco pitcher Madison Bumgarner -- on four hits with four and two walks. Three things to know about this game • In Greinke's four Spring Training outings that had velocity data, the right-hander averaged 90.8 mph with his four-seamer and 88.9 mph with his two-seamer. In his first regular season start against the Giants, Greinke averaged 91.6 mph and 91 mph on those pitches, respectively. The speed on his changeup, slider and curve were also up from the preseason. • With no designated hitter available, Francona started Carlos Santana (a first baseman) in right field on Friday night. That way, the Indians could keep both Santana and Edwin Encarnacion (first base and DH) in the lineup. Given how well Santana has hit out of the gates, Francona may stick with the strategy on Saturday and/or Sunday. • Indians shortstop Francisco Lindor belted two home runs -- including a go-ahead grand slam -- on Wednesday and then, following Thursday's off-day, launched a homer on Friday in his first at-bat. In a stretch of five plate appearances between the two games, Lindor had three homers, one single and one walk. Jordan Bastian has covered the Indians for MLB.com since 2011, and previously covered the Blue Jays from 2006-10

Covering the Bases: Game 4 by Jordan Bastian FIRST: Josh Tomlin’s formula for success is no secret at this point. Hit his spots, keep batters off-balance and do it all efficiently. Throughout Tomlin’s career, he has done well early in outings. When he gets to the third time through the order, or ventures beyond 80–85 pitches, that’s when he enters the danger zone. To Tomlin’s credit, he has made it work, and made a nice career out of precision and efficiency. The D-backs did well in the danger zone on Friday night. Tomlin held Arizona’s lineup to a 2-for-9 showing with no runs allowed the first time through the order. One of those hits௘²௘a second-inning single by Brandon Drury௘²௘was an infield chopper that had a six-percent hit probability. Weak contact௘²௘Tomlin’s priority. The D-backs did better the second time through, going 3-for-7 with a walk, a hit batsman and two runs scored. Third time through? Tomlin only faced four hitters. They went 2-for-4 and Arizona had a 6–3 lead at the time of the pitcher’s exit. Heading into the night, here was the production against Tomlin in his career: First plate appearance: .249 average (.714 OPS) Second plate appearance: .255 average (.746 OPS) Third plate appearance: .291 average (.833 OPS) In the first five innings Friday, both lineups had nine balls in play with 100+ mph exit velocities. Five of those were against Tomlin, and three came between the fourth and fifth innings. He lasted 4 2/3 innings before being pulled in favor of reliever Dan Otero. It wasn’t a great season debut௘²௘Tomlin was charged with six runs on seven hits , with six strikeouts and a walk௘²௘but we’ve seen this type of pattern plenty of times in the past. It creates a balancing act for the manager, who has to decide whether to pull Tomlin, or let him work through a jam, as he enters that 85-pitch range. Against the D-backs, Tomlin was still in the 70s with his pitch count after back-to-back strikeouts of A.J. Pollock and David Peralta in the fifth. Those punchouts came with two runners aboard, but also came before Paul Goldschmidt stepped into the box. Indians manager Terry Francona gave Tomlin the chance to get out of the inning. “Whatever his history is,” Francona said, “there’s so much belief in him. I think he’s earned that.” There is no denying that. In this case, though, Goldschmidt drilled a pitch off the wall in center for a two-run double, and then scored on a single to right from Jake Lamb. That is when Francona turned to the bullpen, with Tomlin at 81 pitches. One of the great aspects of the playoffs was Francona could leverage his bullpen even in situations where his starter had logged fewer than five innings. Francona did it multiple times, including with Tomlin (at 4 2/3 innings) in a brilliant piece of managing in Game 3 of the World Series. Tomlin’s performance, and Francona’s managing, paved the way for a 1–0 victory in that one. Perhaps a better example of what Tomlin needs to be came in Game 2 of the American League Championship Series. In that game, Tomlin lasted 5 2/3 innings, but he did so on 85 pitches. Could it be possible to manage Tomlin like that during the regular season? If the pitcher runs into a jam the third time through, but it’s before the fifth inning, go to the bullpen? Francona said it’s not that simple, especially when a team has to keep its rotation and bullpen in order for six months. The playoffs are an entirely different animal. “If you do that every time out, we’re not going to make it,” Francona said. “If it’s later in the game, that’s different. But, in the fifth, if we start going to out bullpen and are matching up, we’re going to run into a problem at some point.” SECOND: The Goldschmidt double off the wall put the D-backs ahead for good. The Lamb single, and then the subsequent run-scoring hits off Otero, served as the dagger. The real turning point was a hit-by-pitch of Shelby Miller in the fifth. “It kind of changed the whole dynamic of that inning,” Tomlin said. With a runner on first and no outs, Miller squared around to bunt. Tomlin fired a changeup that flew up and in, flirting with Miller’s face. It struck the D-backs pitcher in the chest, putting two runners on with none out and the top of Arizona’s lineup coming up. “Obviously, I’m not trying to hit him right there,” Tomlin said. “I want to get an out. I just was in my delivery and let the ball go and it just kind of sailed out of my hand. That doesn’t usually happen very often for me. It was one of those kind of freak deals. But, by no means am I trying to go after a guy right there. I’m trying to get an out.” Tomlin answered with the strikeous of Pollock and Peralta, but then Goldschmidt swung the game in the D-backs’ favor. If Tomlin doesn’t hit Miller, maybe Goldy never steps to the plate in the inning. “They’re trying to give us the out with the bunt and he hit him,” Francona said. “Any time things like that happen, it doesn’t bode real well for the inning.” THIRD: One of Francona’s managerial moves for this game came before it even started. He kept Carlos Santana in the leadoff spot, but had to start him in right field to keep both him and Edwin Encarnacion in the lineup. Keeping Santana’s bat in the lineup paid off, as he stepped to the plate with the bases loaded in the second. Santana shot a pitch up the middle for a two-run single, giving Cleveland 3–0 lead. Santana didn’t get another hit, but the Indians as a whole went 2-for-26 after his single. Defensively, Santana didn’t get many chances, so the move to play him in right didn’t really factor into the game in that way. In Arizona’s five- run fifth, Brandon Drury did sent a liner down the right-field line, where Santana dove in an effort to make what would have been an incredible grab. As is often the case on Twitter௘²௘especially when a team is losing௘²௘the hot takes were flying. I saw a handful of fans ripping Santana for not making the catch on that play. For the record, based on where Santana was positioned, and how much time the ball was in the air, that lined shot to right came with a catch probability of only three percent, per Statcast. Translation: He had almost no chance of catching that ball. HOME: One positive to come out of the game was Francisco Lindor continuing to swing a hot bat. In the first inning, Lindor crushed a pitch from Miller to right field for a no-doubt solo shot. It was technically his third home run in a span of three at-bats (though he had a walk between his two homers on Wednesday night). In a span of five plate appearance, Lindor had three homers, a single and a walk. For those wondering, the record for most homers in consecutive at-bats for an Indians hitter is four. It’s been done three times, once each by Manny Ramirez (Sept. 15–16, 1998), Willie Kirkland (July 9–13, 1961) and Rocky Colavito (June 10, 1959). One last thing… Michael Martinez Win Percentage: 1.000 (3–0) Indians Win Percentage: .750 (3–1)

April 7: Tito’s pregame minutiae by Jordan Bastian On the play for Jason Kipnis: “He came out and worked out today. He’ll fly back east tomorrow. He’ll DH Sunday for Akron. Then, he’ll play second base Monday for Akron. Lonnie flew back when we left Texas. He will DH tonight in Louisville and then play the outfield the next day in Louisville.” On how many games Kipnis needs to play: “I think you’ve got to take into account a couple things. One, he had, what, six at-bats in Spring Training? So, he needs some at-bats. And, he’s coming back from rehabbing his shoulder, so we don’t want to rush either one. I don’t think at-bats wise it’s probably going to take him a lot, but we’ve probably got to get him out there where he plays back to back games defensively. I don’t think that’s going to take forever.” Asked if Kipnis was on schedule or ahead of schedule: “I’d say he’s on the quick side of kind of what we were thinking. I think there was a little bit of leeway there. He’s probably on the quicker side, yeah.” On going through with Carlos Santana playing right field: “He worked with Millsy and he did a good job. But then he played that game here, and that was the night that wind was kind of blowing. He really handled himself pretty good. You know what? The way I kind of look at is I guess I’m betting on Carlos that however many innings he’s out there he’ll help us win by playing him. If we have a lead, we can certainly get him out of there and be fair to him. And, if he makes a mistake, I will take the blame, because I don’t think he deserves that. But, I appreciate him, his willingness to do it, and I think he’s doing it with enthusiasm. I hope it helps us win a game, but I also think it’s good for him to kind of reward him for doing that. And, like I said, we may not play him all three out there. I don’t know. But, I think it’s good for him.” Santana also did it in the World Series… “Yeah, but I didn’t breathe for six innings, either. But, I think he’s actually a lot more athletic than people give him credit for. I think he’ll be fine. I wouldn’t play him out there if I thought it was a bad idea. But, he doesn’t have a lot of repetition out there. Like I said, if he makes a mistake, I’ll take the hit for it, because I don’t think he deserves that.” On Trevor Bauer, who is scheduled to start Saturday: “Like a lot of young players, he’s made a lot of adjustments. I think a lot about Trevor is probably more fiction than [reality]. Like the long-tossing program and stuff. There’s so many things that he does that the rest of our do also. Maybe you just don’t hear about it so much. Like everybody, we’ve tried to give our opinion, listen to their opinion, and try to meet in the middle, which is what we generally try to do anyway. He’s been good about that.” On Bauer’s showing this spring: “I thoguht his work was excellent. I thought some of his games, he had fallen into habit with his lead arm that I think even he wasn’t aware of at first. And I thought that took a little bit of, not only time, but I thought it ate into his velocity a little bit. I think he’s getting that under control, which is good. He did a really good job in the weight room. He did a good job of communicating with us. So, again, we’re excited to see him pitch. You don’t know how one start will be, but I think he’s positioned himself to have a good year௘²௘kind of like we’ve said about Danny.” Asked if Bauer keeping up with his drone hobby: “As hurtful as it was to not have him, that wasn’t anything malicious. He was cleaning it. Heck no [it’s not an issue]. I’m guessing that a lot of guys probably have worse habits than that௘²௘myself included.” On some tough decisions coming with Lonnie Chisenhall and Kipnis due back soon: “They’re probably not very far off. Lonnie’s closer than Kip. I’d rather have it that way than not have enough players and have easy decisions. If things stay like they are, somebody’s going to get sent down that doesn’t deserve it. That’s probably a good problem to have for the organization. It’ll be a tough conversation, I’m thinking, though, because there’s some guys that have done really well, and you’re a week or 10 days into a season and you’ve got to make a roster move. But, again, if they were healthy, some of these guys might not have made the team. It’s good to have depth. That’s why we try to live by all the things we talk about. Being honest, being conscientious, so when you do have a tough conversation, hopefully you’re able to get players to understand where they don’t lose time, because they’re mad or making bad decisions, things like that.” On Andrew Miller: “Having him for a full year is exciting. You saw what he can do in the regular season and then in the postseason. But now, in the regular season, you treat him a lot like your other pitchers. You don’t want to hurt him. One of our goals is to pitch Cody, Shaw, Otero, Boone as much as we can without overdoing it. And you kind of walk a fine line there, but their communication helps a ton. We want those guys out there. I’ve been saying this for three years or whatever, it’s a fun bullpen. They communicate. They take a lot of pride in being ready and being available, and they don’t just get pigeonholed into innings, which I think helps us have a better bullpen. I think they can complement each other better by the way we’re doing it. But, you have to get buy-in from the players, and they’ve been really good about that.” More on Miller… “He’s one of the better relievers in the game. A lot like Cody, you can pitch him against lefties and righties, because he’s equally as tough. He likes to compete. He likes to pitch. And we like that about him. We gave up a lot of good players for him. In the market we’re in, that’s hard for us to do, so it’s pretty apparent what we thought of him.” On the Indians’ aggressiveness with contract extensions: “I think our guys have done a good job of coming up with the guys they want to try to [extend]. We have to be realistic about who we are. If we can get players in their first six to eight years of their career, their productive years, that’s probably the best time to have them. I think that’s what the guys have really tried to do. When they get past that point and they’re free agents, that might be a tough neighborhood for us. So, you try to get them locked up and you’re going to get௘²௘hopefully௘²௘their most productive years. That’s the best way to do it.” On John Hart pioneering that approach: “That was a different time, too. That was in the middle of the ’90s when the Browns weren’t there. The Indians were selling out. The Indians were one of the big boys. We operate on a little different map than they used to, but I think the blueprint that the guys are using is really good. I think it’ll help us.”

Indians will look to sign Carlos Santana to contract extension past this season, per report By RYAN LEWIS Published: April 7, 2017 The Indians will be looking to sign Carlos Santana to a contract extension at some point this season, per a report by Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports. This wouldn’t quite qualify as groundbreaking news, as it was almost a given that the Indians would at least look into the possibility of extending Santana past this season. Per Heyman’s report, the interest from the club is indeed there. This offseason, the Indians exercised Santana’s $12 million club option for the 2017 season. Santana is currently only joined by reliever Bryan Shaw and outfielder Austin Jackson as players on the active 25-man roster not under club control through at least 2018. Santana, 30, has established himself as a key member of a dangerous Indians lineup. Due in large part thanks to his combination of power and the ability to work the strike zone and draw walks, Santana owns a career 125 wRC+, per FanGraphs. He posted a 132 wRC+ last season, which put him 12th in the American League among qualified hitters and tied a career high with at least 50 games played. Santana has held an on-base percentage of at least .351 every season since he broke into the league in 2010. His .363 on-base percentage since he began playing full time in 2011 ranks 10th in the AL in that time. He split that duty last year with Rajai Davis, though with Davis gone and Jason Kipnis, another leadoff option, on the disabled list, Santana for at least the next couple weeks is likely to remain the everyday leadoff man in Indians manager Terry Francona’s lineup. “I'm comfortable actually hitting Carlos anywhere,” Francona said during the Indians’ season-opening series against the Texas Rangers. “He's just a good hitter. I kind of like the idea right now of him hitting first, because coming around, he's sitting there. He's a guy that's hit in the middle of the order. Now, all of a sudden, you come around from eight-nine and he's sitting there as a switch-hitter. I think Carlos is in a good spot. I think you can hit him anywhere and he's just going to go play.” It’s possible Santana moves down to fifth in the lineup behind Edwin Encarnacion once Kipnis returns. Regardless of his spot in the order, Santana’s combination of a “violent” swing, as Francona has called it in the past, and his propensity to keep the line moving by working the strike zone reportedly has the Indians interested in retaining his services at least partly through this window of contention. Akron Beacon Journal LOADED: 04.08.2017 An out not accepted hurts Josh Tomlin and the in loss to Arizona By Paul Hoynes, cleveland.com PHOENIX - Josh Tomlin, like all pitchers, will take an out where he can find one. Most of the time that is. In the fifth inning Friday night one was being offered, but Tomlin made a mistake and turned it into a baserunner. From that seed, Arizona produced a five-run inning that made Tomlin and the Indians a loser for the first time this season. Tomlin started the fifth with a 3-2 lead. Nick Ahmed reached on an infield single to bring right-hander Shelby Miller to the plate. Yes, this was the out that was being offered to Tomlin. Miller tried to move Ahmed to second with a sacrifice bunt, but fouled off Tomlin's first pitch. He squared to bunt Tomlin's next pitch, an 84 mph change up, but the pitch hit Miller in the upper body. Now instead of one out with a man on second, Arizona had runners on first and second with no outs and the top of the order due to bat. "Obviously, I'm not trying to hit him right there. I want to get an out," said Tomlin. "I just was in my delivery and let the ball go and it just kind of sailed out of my hand. That doesn't usually happen very often for me. "It was just one of those kind of freak deals. But, by no means am I trying to go after a guy right there. I'm trying to get an out. If he's bunting, hopefully we can get an out there." There is a school of thought in baseball that when a batter squares to bunt, a pitcher can go up and in with a pitch to discourage the bunt from happening. But in this situation, Tomlin was more than willing to take the out. Tomlin struck out the next two batters, A.J. Pollock and David Peralta, to make the hit by pitch sting a little more. If Miller had indeed given himself up, and Tomlin had been able to strike out Pollock and Peralta, the inning would have been over with the Indians still in the lead. In the dugout, manager Terry Francona had a bad feeling when Tomlin hit Miller. "Any time things like that happen, it doesn't bode real well for the inning," he said. After Tomlin struck out Pollock and Peralta, Paul Goldschmidt hit a two-run double to put Arizona in the lead to stay. When Jake Lamb followed with an RBI single, Tomlin was done for the night. Dan Otero relieved and allowed a double to Yasmany Thomas, a triple to Brandon Drury and a walk to Chris Iannetta before ending the inning. "Once they got it rolling, we just couldn't finish the inning," said Francona. "O.T. (Otero) comes in and wasn't able to stop it, and they got a bunch of runs with two outs." Arizona, with five two-out runs, took a 7-3 lead. The Indians gave Tomlin (0-1, 11.57 ERA) and early 3-0 lead on a homer by Francisco Lindor and a two-run single by Carlos Santana. He held the Diamondbacks scoreless through the first three innings, but gave up two runs in the fourth on a double to Tomas and a ground out by Drury. Francona was asked about going to the bullpen in the fifth instead of letting Tomlin face Goldschmidt, a four-time All-Star who drove in a combined 205 runs in 2015 and 2016. At that point the Indians still had a 3-2 lead. "Well, it's the fifth inning. if you do that every time out, we're not going to make it," said Francona. "Whatever Tomlin's history is, there's so much belief in him that I think he's earned that. If it's later in the game, that's different. But, in the fifth, if we start going to our bullpen and are matching up, we're going to run into a problem at some point." Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: 04.08.2017 Francisco Lindor homers again, but Arizona hands Cleveland Indians their first loss of season, 7-3 By Paul Hoynes, cleveland.com PHOENIX - Another jolt off the bat of Francisco Lindor was pleasing to the eye and ear, but it was no match to Arizona's five-run fifth inning Friday night at Chase Field. Lindor's homer in the first inning off Shelby Miller gave him three in three at-bats, but the Diamondbacks continued their hot start to the season with a big fifth inning to come from behind and beat the Indians, 7-3, at Chase Field. It was the first loss for the Indians, who opened with a three-game sweep of Texas. Josh Tomlin had the lead and two outs in the fifth, but first baseman Paul Goldschmidt doubled to left center to score Nick Ahmed and Miller for a 4-3 lead. Tomlin and reliever Dan Otero could not stop the Diamondbacks as they improved to 4-1. Jake Lamb's RBI single ended Tomlin's night as Otero relieved with Arizona leading, 5-3. In rapid succession Yasmany Thomas doubled and Brandon Drury tripled to make it 7-3. Tomlin started the fifth by allowing an infield single to Ahmed to bring Miller to the plate. When Miller squared to bunt Ahmed to second, Tomlin made a mistake and hit him with a pitch. So instead of Miller giving himself up on a sacrifice bunt for the first out of the inning, Arizona had runners on first and second when Tomlin struck out the next two batters. There's no guarantee that Tomlin would have struck out A.J. Pollock and David Peralta if Miller had executed the sacrifice bunt, but it added an interesting twist to the inning. Lindor homered in his last two official at-bats in Wednesday's 9-6 victory over Texas. On Friday night, he hit a 2-0 from Miller into the right field seats to give the Indians a 1-0 lead with the game two batters old. It was his third homer of the season. After Lindor's homer, the Indians pushed the lead to 3-0 with two runs in the second. Yandy Diaz and Tyler Naquin started the inning with walks and Yan Gomes singled to loaded the bases. Miller struck out Tomlin, but Carlos Santana singled to center to score Diaz and Naquin. There was an opportunity for more, but Lindor flied to left and lined to right. From there Miller got better and Tomlin faded. Arizona scored twice in the fourth to make it 3-2. Thomas doubled off the center field wall to score Goldschmidt and send Lamb to third. Lamb scored on Drury's ground out to third. Tomlin (0-1, 11.57) allowed six runs on seven hits in 4 2/3 innings. He struck out six and walked one. Miller (1-0, 5.06) allowed three runs on five hits in 5 1/3 innings. He struck out seven, walked three and allowed five hits. Last year Miller went 3-12 for the Diamondbacks. Tomlin threw 81 pitches, 56 (69 percent) for strikes. Miller threw 105 pitches, 65 (62 percent) for strikes. Feet first. Brantley stole his first base of the season, stealing second with two out in the fifth and Edwin Encarnacion at the plate. Brantley got a good jump off Miller and beat the throw by plenty. Yes, Brantley went in feet first. No need for a headfirst slide and put his right shoulder at risk. In the last four years, Brantley is 40-for-42 in stolen base attempts. Lindor's streak of three homers in three at-bats included a walk. The team record for homers in consecutive at-bats is four held by Manny Ramirez 1998, Willie Kirkland 1961 and Rocky Colavito 1959. Jim Thome holds the record for most consecutive games with a homer at seven. Ramirez holds the record for most homers in five games with eight. The Indians and Diamondbacks drew 22,443 to Chase Field on Friday night. First pitch was at 9:40 p.m. ET with a temperature of 88 degrees. The roof was open. Trevor Bauer, 3-0 in spring training, will make his first start of the regular season Saturday night when he faces Zack Greinke (0-0, 3.60) and the Diamondbacks at 8:10 p.m. ET. Arizona used the third pick in the first round to draft Bauer in 2011 out of UCLA. They traded him the next year to the Indians as part of a three-team deal with Cincinnati. Bauer has faced his old club once, striking out nine and allowing two runs in eight innings on Aug. 13, 2014. He received a no-decision, but the Indians won the game, 3-2. He has not pitched at Chase Field since July 9, 2012 when he was still a member of the Diamondbacks. Greinke, 9-9 lifetime against the Indians, signed a six-year, $206.5 million deal with Arizona before the start of the 2016 season. He struggled, going 13-7 with a 4.27 ERA. Greinke, who made 26 starts, missed time with an oblique injury. Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: 04.08.2017 Cleveland Indians' Jason Kipnis starts rehab assignment Sunday with Class AA Akron By Paul Hoynes, cleveland.com PHOENIX -- Jason Kipnis says he's made all the throws a second baseman has to make to test his right shoulder. Now he's ready for the next step -- more rehab, but this will be in the form of games. Kipnis, the Indians' two-time All-Star, will begin his rehab assignment Sunday at Class AA Akron. He'll DH Sunday and play second base Monday. "Then we'll re-evaluate," said Kipnis. "We're off Tuesday." Kipnis was shut down in early March with a strained right rotator cuff. He had five Cactus League at-bats before the Indians put him on the shelf with the idea of getting the rotator cuff and shoulder as healthy as possible for the season. Right fielder Lonnie Chisenhall, who opened on the disabled list with a sprained right A/C joint, was scheduled to begin his rehab assignment Friday night at DH for Class AAA Columbus. He was scheduled to play the outfield on Saturday. Chisenhall could be ready to be activated when the Indians open the home portion of their schedule Tuesday against the White Sox. Manager Terry Francona said a couple of things will determine when Kipnis will be ready to rejoin the Indians. "He needs some at-bats and he's coming back from rehabbing his shoulder so we don't want to rush either one," said Francona. "I don't think at-bats wise it's going to take him a lot. "But we still have to get him out there where he can play back-to-back games defensively. But I don't think that's going to take forever." Kipnis, who has been rehabbing at the Tribe's spring training facility in Goodyear, Ariz., joined the big-league club Friday at Chase Field. He went through a full workout and said things went well. "We really had time to concentrate on the shoulder," said Kipnis. "It feels 100 percent. I'm really happy with where I'm at right now." Kipnis was shown on Instagram attending Monday's NCAA basketball championship in Phoenix, while watching the Indians on his phone beat Texas in the season opener. "On the ticket it looked like I had close seats to the national title game," said Kipnis. "When I got there, I was miles away. "These guys look good right now. To have that kind of fight in the first series is exactly what you want out of a team. The way they grinded at- bats late in the game and made it tough on relievers was fun to see." No player likes rehab assignments, but Kipnis nows he's moved a step closer to the real thing. Most of all he gets to play games. "I'm bored out of my mind," he said. "Everyone has started. Everyone is already having fun. It's my job to make sure I'm healthy and put this behind us." Kipnis said it hasn't been discussed how many games or at-bats he'll need before the Indians activate him. The Indians went into Friday's game against Arizona at 3-0 after sweeping Texas. Yandy Diaz and Abraham Almonte, who won jobs on the 25- man roster because of the injuries to Kipnis and Chisenhall, have performed well. When Kipnis and Chisenhall return, somebody is going to lose a big-league job. For the record, Diaz and Almonte have minor-league options. "Lonnie and Kip are probably not very far off," said Francona. "Lonnie is closer than Kip. I'd rather have it that way than not have enough players and have easy decisions. But if things stay as they are, somebody is going to get sent down that doesn't deserve to be. "That's probably a good problem to have for the organization, but it will be a tough conversation. Those guys have done really well. You're a week to 10 days into the season and you have to make a roster move." The right stuff: Carlos Santana made his big-league debut in left field last year in the World Series. Friday night, he received his baptism in right. Santana usually shares first base and DH with Edwin Encarnacion. But without the DH because the Indians are playing in a NL park, Francona is trying to keep his bat in the lineup. In the Tribe's second-to-last exhibition game of the spring, Santana played right field at Chase Field. It was a windy night, but Santana handled several chances without incident. "Millsie (outfield coach Brad Mills) said Carlos had a really good workout," said Francona. Santana enters Friday's game hitting .417 (5-for-12) with two doubles, one homer and four RBI in the first three games. He is the fourth Indian since 1913, according to team research, to have at least one hit, one run and one RBI in the first three games of the season. Leon Wagner (1964), Toby Harrah (1982) and Grady Sizemore (2007) are the others. No problem: , who will make his second start of the season Sunday, experienced no blister-related problems throwing his bullpen session. Kluber had trouble throwing his breaking ball in the season opener Monday against Texas after developing a blister on his pitching hand. Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: 04.08.2017 Cleveland Indians Francisco Lindor -- the error, the homer, the team: By Bill Livingston, The Plain Dealer CLEVELAND, Ohio - Baseball has always lent itself to the stories of individual heroism because its central feature is single combat. A lone pitcher faces a hitter who steps into the batter's box, alone. The matchup is the heart of the game and of baseball's romance. Poetry in motion It is said that the smaller the ball, the better the writing about it. This holds for poetry as well as prose. There may be better football verse than the Marx Brothers' "Hey diddle diddle, the cat and the fiddle, this time I think we go up the middle!" But if so, who knows what it is? Football is collaborative. "The ultimate team game," former Buffalo Bills coach Marv Levy called it. Baseball's "Casey at the Bat" is about the individual failure that is the cause of Mudville's civic despair. It is a poem more for the fallen Trojans than the victorious Greeks. Even the best batters make outs seven out of 10 times. Baseball is built on numbers. No part of the game was more central to Albert Belle, perhaps the best slugger in Cleveland Indians' history, or, for that matter, Ted Williams, the best hitter there ever was, than their next at-bat. Pete Rose, when he was chasing Ty Cobb's hit record, probably knew exactly how many career hits he had each and every day once he passed 3,000. Yet maybe we are looking at it wrong, and baseball is more of a team game than we thought. Batter and pitcher are indeed principals in a duel. But space is as big a preoccupation in baseball as it is in basketball's 3-point era. It just goes by different names, such as a grounder deep in the "hole," a double in the "gap." Various tactics are individually executed - running up the pitch count, laying off balls, working a walk, forcing slide step deliveries to the plate and stapling the first baseman to the bag to hold a runner. Together, they amount to the incremental manufacture of runs. Tribe manager Terry Francona said in the past, "Since we don't have the big guy in the middle who is going to hit 30 homers, we have to keep the line moving." It is an assembly line metaphor. But this season, the Indians do have the big guy in free agent Edwin Encarnacion. His home run was a big part of the Opening Day Tribe victory. Two more by Francisco Lindor, the second a grand slam to erase a deficit in the ninth inning, helped the Indians to a sweep of the Texas Rangers. Lindor's first career slam was about more than his "beautiful swing," as Francona called it. In baseball, teamwork is compulsory on defense, to an extent that coordinated pass coverages in football and switches in basketball are not. A shortstop like Lindor has no choice on a grounder with runners on base but to throw the ball to first for the third out of an inning, provided an easy force-out at second is not available. Or does he? Wednesday night in Texas, Lindor made a critical mental mistake, trying for an unassisted force at second when it was too late to beat the runner, then throwing wildly past Encarnacion at first in an attempt to end in the inning. It led to three runs and cost starter Danny Salazar a win. Lindor put the onus on himself to atone. "I just wanted Salazar not to get the loss," said Lindor after the grand slam. "It was hurting me the whole entire time with how good an outing he had and that he was going to get the loss." Salazar got a no-decision instead. The Indians' team culture got the win. Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: 04.08.2017

Cleveland Indians have Terry Talkin' good news about hitting, pitching, catching -- Pluto (photos) Terry Pluto, The Plain Dealer CLEVELAND, Ohio -- It's easy to forget that the Cleveland Indians were second in the American League in runs scored last season. Part of the reason is Boston scored 101 more than anyone else in the American League. But the Indians were second. The Indians had a deep lineup. It was not power-packed in terms of homers, ranking 10th. But they were second in doubles, and in the top five of a lot of categories. The only key players missing from that 2016 lineup are Mike Napoli and Rajai Davis. Let's look closely: 1. In the first three games of the season, the Indians scored 21 runs. This is without Jason Kipnis and Lonnie Chisenhall, both out with sore shoulders. 2. This team has power-hitting, walk-drawing Carlos Santana leading off. It has solid hitters such as Tyler Naquin and rookie Yandy Diaz low in the lineup and Brandon Guyer batting sixth one day and third the next against left-handers. 3. Then there's the heart of the order, batting 2-5: Francisco Lindor, Michael Brantley, Edwin Encarnacion and Jose Ramirez. Out of that group, only Ramirez has not made an All-Star team. 4. This team will score a lot of runs again. Encarnacion has averaged 110 RBI over the last five seasons. That looks very likely to happen again. He has replaced Napoli in the No. 4 spot. 5. Brantley helps manager Terry Francona figure out his outfield. Brantley will be in left most of the time. 6. In center, Francona can platoon Austin Jackson/Naquin. In right field, it can be Chisenhall/Guyer. Abraham Almonte can play anywhere. 7. The only real soft spot is catcher, where Yan Gomes and Roberto Perez have struggled to hit. But otherwise, the Tribe has enough good role players combined with some legitimate stars to score a lot of runs again. ABOUT THE PITCHING Like many of their fans, the Indians were very interested and perhaps a little worried about some of their key pitchers. The first three games of the season (victories in Texas) brought some emotional relief -- along with some strong performances: 1. Carlos Carrasco complained of a sore elbow in spring training. He had Tommy John elbow surgery in 2011. So any time a pitcher coming off that surgery says his elbow hurts, there is reason for concern. The Indians gave him an MRI and other tests, and it appeared to be nothing more than some slight inflammation. 2. Carrasco made his first start, four hits and two earned runs in 5 2/3 innings. He struck out seven, walking only one. So that's a typical Carrasco performance when he is healthy. 3. In modern baseball, you can measure about everything. Carrasco's average fastball in his start was 93.8 mph -- exactly the same as last season. He used his slider more than a year ago (20 percent), but it's velocity (82 mph) was the same. The point is the radar gun showed Carrasco is healthy. 4. Danny Salazar started the third game. Salazar's health is always a concern. He had Tommy John elbow surgery in 2010 and was on the disabled list last season with elbow inflammation. He threw only 33 innings after the All-Star break. 5. Like Carrasco, Salazar threw 5 2/3 innings. His velocity was excellent, his average fastball clocking in at 94.8 mph. That's the same as last year. He fanned nine in those 5 2/3 innings. The downside was four walks. 6. But Salazar and Carrasco had healthy first starts, a key for the Tribe. 7. Andrew Miller threw two scoreless innings. His best fastball was clocked at 97 mph. His average velocity for his sliders and fastball were about the same as a year ago. In other words, all is well with the star reliever. ABOUT ROBERTO PEREZ The Indians gave Roberto Perez a four-year, $9 million contract extension. Even if Perez is nothing more than a backup, it's a good deal for both sides. The Indians have depth at catcher for years with Perez and Gomes, both on long-term deals. Here's the thinking: 1. Good defensive catchers can seemingly play forever. Gomes is trying to regain his confidence at the plate. But he is a very good catcher. So is Perez. The duo combined to throw out 40 percent of stealing baserunners last season. Anything over 25 percent is excellent. 2. Gomes had a knee injury in 2015 and played only 95 games. He had a shoulder injury (and later, a broken hand) in 2016, playing only 74 games. 3. Perez is insurance. Also, if Gomes continues to have problems hitting, Perez could get more playing time. 4. Having both players on long-term deals doesn't make it seem that one has to play to justify the contract. Now, they both are in the same spot in terms of a contract status. 5. In the outrageous economy of baseball, both catchers have contracts that would be acceptable to other teams in trades. The Indians do have phenom catcher Francisco Mejia opening the season at Class AA Akron. Baseball America rates him the Tribe's top prospect. He batted .342 in Class A last season with a 50-game hitting streak. 6. Meija impressed Sandy Alomar and other Tribe coaches with his throwing arm. He also was 8-of-19 at the plate in spring big league games. He could be in the majors by 2018. The switch-hitter is only 21.

One errant pitch leads to Josh Tomlin’s downfall, but what do trends say about his rocky fifth inning? by T.J. Zuppe, 4 hours ago ]Notes, quotes and observations from the 7-3 loss to the Diamondbacks on Friday night. 1. Let this be a lesson … hitting the pitcher, who is trying to give up an out is less than ideal. And it will probably lead to much, much worse. Josh Tomlin had to be mentally kicking himself for drilling Diamondbacks starter Shelby Miller with a pitch in the fifth inning for multiple reasons. For one, it’s the opposing pitcher. And it’s a pitcher squaring around to attempt a sacrifice bunt. With the benefit of hindsight, that was the moment that things truly came unglued Friday night. Despite the back-to-back strikeouts that followed, Tomlin was unable to halt the damage. Nick Ahmed began the inning with a single. Miller tried to bunt him to second, trailing by a run, but was drilled with an 0-1 pitch as he squared to offer, putting runners at first and second with nobody out. Tomlin struck out A.J. Pollock and David Peralta, but the escape act wouldn’t be completed unscathed, as Paul Goldschmidt, one of the last hitters on the planet any pitcher would want to face with runners on base, clobbered his 86.5 MPH offering, his 77th pitch of the game, to deep center field, scoring two. The D-backs scored five in the inning after two men were out, and Tomlin was knocked out of the game after 4 2/3 innings, yielding six runs on seven hits. An additional run in the inning would be charged to Dan Otero, who relieved the Indians’ starter but allowed two hits before the inning end. Those would be the only runs needed to keep the Indians at bay. *** 2. Before Tomlin’s moment of despair, he had done well to work his way around some trouble. He had kept the Diamondbacks scoreless through the first trip the order. However, he’d allow two in the fourth before the fifth-inning meltdown erased the Indians’ lead for good. But should we have known Tomlin was in for a potential pitfall? History might indicate so. Manager Terry Francona did a wonderful job utilizing Tomlin in the 2016 postseason. Rarely would he allow him to face a lineup a third time, and by limiting most of his outings to 4-5 innings, he got the best out of the starter in a situation where he didn’t have many healthy arms to pick from. Why was his hook so quick? Well, throughout Tomlin’s career, he’s always had some trouble the deeper he gets in games. Of course, you can make the case that nearly every pitcher gets easier to hit the more you see them in a game. And to back up that thought, one quick viewing of his numbers every time through the order will usually offer a similar narrative. Let’s take a look at Tomlin’s career and 2016 splits, in terms of times through the order, to get a better understanding of what we’re talking about. First time x Career: .249/.285/.429 x 2016: .288/.310/.472 Second time x Career: .255/.277/.469 x 2016: .262/.276/.484 Third time x Career: .291/.320/.513 x 2016: .260/.294/.531 We’ll throw out the fourth time through the order, just because it’s so rare for Tomlin to make a fourth trip that the numbers aren’t really conclusive. What we can learn from those numbers is a clear indication that the 32-year-old pitcher is more susceptible to making mistakes the third time through, as is evident based on the inflated slugging numbers. Tomlin already faces challenges because he doesn’t throw hard, so being pin-point accurate with his offerings is the key to his success. For the most part, he does an incredible job getting results with his limited stuff. But knowing when he might be running low on gas — for him, that’s typically around the 75-80 pitch mark — is pretty crucial. Because when the tank runs low, his command tends to suffer. For a better indication of that, look at his career strikeout-to-walk ratios before and after the 75-pitch mark. x Pitch 1-25: 4.07 x Pitch 26-50: 4.86 x Pitch: 51-75: 4.50 x Pitch: 76-100: 3.74 Now, in a setting like the postseason, Francona can afford to pull Tomlin in the fifth inning of every outing. But over a long season, it’s easier to have a bit of a longer leash in hopes of not burning your pen unnecessarily. Still, it’s a trend that’s well-established by now, and with the Indians possessing a deep and talented bullpen — maybe the best combination of those two attributes in baseball — maybe a quicker hook is something they should consider as the year progresses. When asked about that after the game by reporters, Francona offered this understandable response: “If you do that every time out, we’re not going to make it. Whatever his history is, there’s so much belief in him, I think he’s earned that. If it’s later in the game, that’s different. But in the fifth, if we start going to our bullpen matching up, we’re going to run into a problem at some point.” *** 3. With that, the dream of a perfect season is dead. Put a cork in the champagne. Put away the confetti. Silence the annoying noise makers. In the first week of the season, everything is magnified. For a pitcher, like Tomlin, it’s the only effort (that’s counted) that goes next to his name. There’s no previous innings to absorb a bad outing. Every hitter that gets off to a bad start has to spend a portion of the season fighting the scoreboard. Ask Yan Gomes how quickly a poor start can snowball and impact a player’s confidence. On the other end of that, every player that gets off to a good start feels like this is their year. A couple of good appearances out of the bullpen — like the ones contributed by Shawn Armstrong for instance — give you good feelings. And even some lucky bounces or well-placed balls can be enough to get a player in a positive frame of mind. As much as we can stress the process being more important than the results, it’s easy to say that sitting behind a keyboard and the warm glow of a computer screen. It’s much different for an athlete when they’re on the rubber or in the batters’ box, thinking about every little adjustment needed to find success. Those that trust themselves and the work they put in can often overcome those early-season narratives that often end up looking silly weeks or months in the future. “Sometimes small sample sizes, a hit or two can really swing things,” Francona said earlier this week. “Your confidence, when you get rewarded for a hit, it’s like everything loosens up.” As for their now tarnished record, I guess 161-1 is still in play … Oh, and for the one person tweeting me to put Carlos Santana on blast for not being able to make this incredible catch to end the fifth — in his first career start in right field, by the way — please note that ball had a three percent catch probability, according to MLB Statcast. Check yourself. *** 4. Big picture: what in the world are the Indians going to do when Lonnie Chisenhall and Jason Kipnis return? Of course, in no way is anyone complaining about having too many position player options, but at the moment, there are several guys who would be tough to demote when both are ready to be activated. Chisenhall is a little ahead of Kipnis in that regard. Chisenhall is in the midst of a rehab assignment with Triple-A Columbus and will likely return from the disabled list for the home opener Tuesday. Kipnis, on the other hand, will begin a minor-league stay with the Akron RubberDucks on Sunday. He is scheduled to DH in his first appearance, then will play second base Monday, take an off day Tuesday and play again Wednesday at a minor-league affiliate to be determined. Abraham Almonte probably wouldn’t have made the team if not for Chisenhall’s shoulder injury at the end of camp, but through four games, he’s walked an impressive four times in 10 plate appearances and shown tremendous plate discipline. The switch-hitting outfielder has an option, so he is the most likely candidate to get sent down. Would they consider Tyler Naquin, though? He, of course, has options as well, but it’s tough to see him falling out of favor that quickly. *** 5. Things will get even more interesting with Kipnis. Yandy Diaz made the team but has largely been as advertised offensively. The 25-year-old has even surprised with a couple of strong defensive plays at third base, including this one on Friday night. For his development, playing every day is what the organization would prefer for Diaz — no matter what level he’s at — but how do you send him down to the minors given how promising his first few games have been? “I’d rather have it that way than not have enough players and have easy decisions,” Francona told reporters before the game. “If things stay like they are, somebody’s going to get sent down that doesn’t deserve it. That’s probably a good problem to have for the organization. It’ll be a tough conversation, I’m thinking, though, because there’s some guys that have done really well, and you’re a week or 10 days into a season and you’ve got to make a roster move.” *** 6. On deck: The Indians will continue their three-game series with the D-Backs on Saturday. Trevor Bauer returns to Arizona to pitch against the team that drafted him. He will be opposed by Zack Greinke (0-0, 3.60). First pitch is set for 8:10 p.m.

Brady Aiken ready to take next step with By David Glasier, The News-Herald A smile came to Captains manager Larry Day’s face when he was asked to summarize the pitching style of Brady Aiken. The 20-year-old left-hander was selected by the Indians with the 17th overall pick in the first round of the June 2015 draft out of IMG Academy in Florida. Aiken will start in the home opener against the Dayton Dragons on April 8 at Classic Park. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Day drew together the fingers and thumb on his right hand, drew back his arm a short distance, then thrust it forward toward the wall in the manager’s office at Classic Park. Advertisement When the arm was fully extended, Day whispered, “Pffft.” The gesture was, Day explained, his way of demonstrating how the lanky southpaw is capable of spotting his two-seam and four-seam to all locations inside the strike zone on both sides of home plate. Day said Aiken’s fastball was sitting in the low-to-mid-90s during spring training. The 6-foot-4, 205-pound Aiken is similarly precise with his and change-up. “It’s rare and really impressive to see a pitcher this young have that kind of control,” Day said. Aiken said he’s proud of his control and always is mindful of doing what it takes to hone that part of his craft. “It something you work on from the time you start playing catch in the backyard as a kid,” Aiken said. “You have to know how to pitch and dominate the strike zone or being able to throw the ball hard won’t mean much. Obviously, it’s a plus if you have good velocity and can spot the ball.” Many of the attributes Aiken will bring to the mound at Classic Park this season were present when the Astros tapped him with the first overall pick in the June 2014 draft out of Cathedral Catholic High School in the San Diego area. Aiken and the Astros initially agreed to a deal that included a $6.5 million signing bonus, but the Astros substantially reduced the bonus when a medical examination detected an abnormality in the ulnar colateral ligament in Aiken’s left elbow. The Astros countered with an offer of $5 million when doctors initially concluded Aiken would not need surgery. Aiken elected to pass on the Astros’ offer. Instead, he enrolled at IMG Academy set his sights on going back into the draft in 2015. After his first start at IMG, the pain flared in Aiken’s elbow. He underwent the Tommy John procedure in March 2015. The Indians used their first draft choice in June 2015 on Aiken, knowing he wouldn’t be cleared to pitch again until the following spring, at the earliest. Aiken agreed to a contract with a signing bonus of $2.5 million and reported to the Indians’ training complex in Goodyear, Ariz., to continue his recovery. “The rehab process is long and arduous, but you have to be focused on doing the work it takes to get back out on the mound,” Aiken said. In June 2016, Aiken returned to action with the rookie-league Arizona Indians. The initial results were so-so as he went 0-4 with a 7.13 ERA in nine appearances, eight of them starts. He rounded into much better form after a promotion to short-season Single-A Mahoning Valley, where he was 2-1 with a 4.43 ERA. In five starts covering 22 1/3 innings, he finished with 22 strikeouts while issuing six walks. Aiken is the fourth-rated prospect in the Indians’ organization, according to Baseball America. He said he long ago put behind him all the drama of his initial drafting by Houston, the decision not to sign with the Astros and the surgery that delayed the start of his professional career. “What happened, happened. It doesn’t matter anymore,” Aiken said. “All I can do is focus on the work and do the job when they hand me the ball.” At least through the early part of this season, Aiken will share starts with 23-year-old right hander Justin Garza in a piggyback arrangement.

RubberDucks report: Pitcher D.J. Brown comfortable as starter or reliever Every baseball team needs a Stretch Armstrong, and the RubberDucks have found one in D.J. Brown.

Brown, a right-hander, starts the 2017 season in the bullpen and it’s a role he has become quite accustomed to in his fifth season in the Indians organization.

The way he’s been used in the past is the way he very well could be used this season as he starts as the long reliever and then perhaps works his way into the starting rotation.

“It’s great to have people that are versatile, especially early in the season,” pitching coach Tony Arnold said. “We stretched him out as a starter in spring training, so he’s got innings. Whereas if he was a reliever, he wouldn’t have gotten them. As a team, it’s great. As far as an individual, it’s beneficial. I did it in my career. It’s just a mindset.”

It’s a mentality with which Brown is very comfortable.

A year ago, Brown, a 39th-round pick in the 2012 MLB Draft, appeared in 28 games and made 21 starts. In 2015, he had 27 appearances with 20 starts, and in 2014 those numbers were 26 and 20.

“He does pretty much whatever they ask him to do,” Ducks catcher Eric Haase said. “He’s filled in for guys missing starts and gives us five or six innings whereas many don’t expect that. He’s turned right around and helped us in the bullpen.

“He puts his best stuff out there. He just knows the position he’s in. Sometimes we have five starters that will go out there. He might not get those opportunities, but when he does, he makes the most of it.”

With Julian Merryweather, Michael Peoples, Rob Kaminsky and Nick Pasquale making up the top four in the RubberDucks’ starting rotation and Luis Lugo and Travis Banwart splitting time as No. 5, Brown has become the player Ducks manager Mark Budzinski relies on to eat up innings.

He’s also the guy that can spot start if there’s a doubleheader or if someone is on short rest and needs a break.

Armed with a fastball, curveball, change-up and slider, Brown, 26, doesn’t have a preference to either role. As long as he’s getting into a game, things are heading the right direction.

“I like both, but wherever they need me, they need me,” Brown said. “I’m willing to do whatever to help the team and get to the next level. It’s just a different mindset.

“I love coming in with the bases loaded and trying to get out of it. I love starting the game. I love setting the tone. I don’t think it’s tough.

“It’s just getting your mind right and making sure your body is in a good position to do it, whether it’s pre-work or post-work. Whatever I’m doing, I feel comfortable as long as I’ve prepared the right way.”

That preparation has earned the trust of Arnold, who looks to his 6-foot-6 veteran to act as a Band-Aid when needed.

“Last year, his numbers as a reliever were really good,” Arnold said. “He can give us length if we need it or he can close out a game two or three innings. If there’s a need, he might bounce back into the rotation or spot start. You have to have somebody in your bullpen that can spot start if you have a rainout and need him for a doubleheader.”

Up next Friday’s game against the Bowie Baysox was postponed and will be made up as part of a doubleheader Sunday at 1:05 p.m. Both games will be seven innings. The Ducks and Baysox will play Game 2 of the four-game series Saturday at 2:05 p.m.