Brantley expecting unexpected in comeback Indians left fielder put in hard work to be on roster By Jordan Bastian / MLB.com | @MLBastian | April 6th, 2017 PHOENIX -- The sound was methodical. After a handful of seconds, the crack of 's bat would shoot through the batting cage at 's spring complex. Another ball was placed on the tee in front of him, and the noise would reverberate in the tunnel again. Only Brantley's father, Mickey, was present for this afternoon hitting session a few days before Opening Day. They remained in the cage more than an hour, fine-tuning the swing that the elder Brantley helped design. The father knows that his son's work is not done, either. "He's worked hard. He really has," Mickey Brantley said. "He's been kind of leery. He doesn't know what to expect yet." That is the great unknown with Michael Brantley's improbable comeback. A complicated right arm injury kept the Indians' star left fielder shelved for most of last season, and no one is quite sure what kind of player he will be now. But following two surgeries (one on his shoulder in November 2015 and another for his right biceps in August '16), consultations with five doctors and as many rehab games as Major League games (11) last year, Brantley is back. Brantley passed every test this spring and suffered no setbacks, convincing the Tribe to carry him on its Opening Day roster. There are people close to Brantley who were amazed he pulled off that feat. No one, however, is surprised that Brantley put in the work to make it happen. "It always comes back to the player. And with him, it's easy," Indians said. "He's been a star. He had to be a star in the training room, so he was. He made so many sacrifices to get himself in this position. It's nice when you write him in your lineup. It's nice to have him on your side." The road back to the lineup was not easy. Not only did Brantley deal with the physical stress, but last season was a mental test, too. Francona has referred to Brantley as the "heart and soul" of the team, and the outfielder was forced to watch Cleveland's run to the from the dugout. Brantley loved witnessing the success, but it also hurt not to be on the field with his teammates. "It was tremendously hard. He couldn't do anything," Mickey Brantley said. "He was still there, though. That was the difference. I think that's the leadership role -- the kind of leader he is. He was still with his team. That World Series, he wasn't a part of it physically on the field and batting, but he wanted to be there for the guys." Brantley became an extra voice, providing guidance for the team's younger players and acting almost like an additional hitting . It is rare to see a player on the disabled list be involved as much as Brantley was behind the scenes last season. "It's extremely impressive," said Tribe outfielder , who was a rookie last year. "That just shows Mike's character more than anything, what he's about and who he is as a person. He cares about other people, cares about his teammates and the staff, everybody around here. He's going to try to win in any way he can." This year, that includes finally being back on the field again. Staying on the field is the next task. "He's still in untested water," Mickey Brantley said. "Mentally, he's ready. I told him, 'Are you ready?' I'm asking him. He said, 'Pops, I'm ready.' He doesn't know what to expect, missing that much time. But he's in a good place right now." Jordan Bastian has covered the Indians for MLB.com since 2011, and previously covered the Blue Jays from 2006-10. Read his blog,

Anthony Castrovince Hot start fuels talk of Lindor's MVP chances By Anthony Castrovince / MLB.com | @castrovince | April 6th, 2017 This endurance test we refer to as the baseball season will provide proper context for what did Wednesday night at Globe Life Park, where he atoned for an ultra-rare defensive gaffe by homering twice, including the game-winning grand slam that completed a sweep and made a grown Rangers fan weep. For now, this felt like early justification of all those spring predictions that Lindor could emerge as the MVP Award winner. This column isn't an evaluation of that case after three games, so put down the pitchforks. This is merely a discussion about the uphill battle a player like Lindor faces and how moments of magnitude like Wednesday's help push back against precedent. The Tribe is a popular pick to win the AL Central. Lindor, as its emoticon embodiment who delivers on both sides of the ball, is a popular AL MVP Award pick among those who veer away from Mike Trout, if only for the sake of variety. Personally, I'm skeptical of Lindor's AL MVP Award likelihood -- not because I doubt him personally (I'm currently looking into the legality of adopting him) and not because I blindly assume Trout will win yet another one (it's still surprising voters did the right thing in not holding a 74- win Angels squad against him). It's because the Baseball Writers' Association of America electorate tends to lean more toward power numbers in the MVP Award vote. Lindor's .482 slugging percentage as a rookie in 2015 was a revelation, given his Minor League track record (.384 SLG in 1,880 plate appearances). Predictably, his power regressed a little his sophomore year. Even if Lindor surges this season, keep in mind only six men who MVP Award winners with sub-.500 slugging percentages are outliers. In the past 40 years, there have been just four: (.493) in 2008, Ichiro Suzuki (.457) in '01, Barry Larkin (.492) in 1995* and (.483) in '88. *While Larkin's 1995 MVP Award might seem a nice comparable as a fellow shortstop, it ought to be stricken from the record. Barry Bonds recorded a 1.009 OPS and league-best 7.5 Wins Above Replacement mark… and finished 12th! It was a different time. So Lindor will need other factors in his favor. We can probably rule out a serious statistical setback for Trout, because, well… you know. But if the Angels fall shy of October again and the Indians are anywhere near as good as they looked in Arlington, that cracks the door open a little. Like Mookie Betts last year, Lindor could potentially log a case built more on overall impact than outlandish OPS. Ignore Wednesday's two-run error (which arguably should have been charged to Edwin Encarnacion, anyway) and assume that Lindor will finish 2017 with strong defensive metrics. Soon enough, we'll have better Statcast™ data, in the vein of Probability currently available for outfielders, to really illustrate just how good Lindor is. For now, defensive runs saved, where he has graded out as elite, will suffice.

The reason Lindor received only down-ballot MVP love on the heels of the Tribe's surge up the standings last season was his offensive output was solid but not extraordinary. His 112 Weighted Runs Created Plus (wRC+) mark, for instance, was good but nothing like that of Dodgers rookie sensation Corey Seager (137). Lindor did not finish in the top 10 among AL position players in WAR. A way-too-early takeaway in 2017 is that Lindor, right in line with a growing concept in our game, is elevating the ball. His ground ball percentage was 50 percent in his first two seasons. So far, Lindor has put nine balls in play and only three were on the ground. That'll merit monitoring. Lindor will never be a slugging shortstop in the vein of a young Alex Rodriguez, but he does have a combination of strength and strike zone judgment that could be improving. In the entirety of 2016, Lindor put 27 balls in play measured by Statcast™ at an exit velocity of 105 mph or greater. He had two such balls on Wednesday alone, and they both cleared the wall. Lindor is not going to suddenly be a 40-homer sensation, but bump everything up a bit -- turn that 15-homer season into something north of 20 and that 30- output into something north of 40 -- and pair it with the dazzling D and the storyline of a squad running away with its division, and you might have something that attracts MVP Award attention. The elevated profile that accompanies what Frankie did in the Tribe's 2016 postseason (.310/.355/.466 slash line in 15 games) could also help, as it did with Pedroia in '08 after his rookie run to the World Series title. It's merely a conversation built on assumptions for now, but it's a fun one, especially in the aftermath of an evening in which Lindor elicited two very different raw emotions from Indians and Rangers fans. Anthony Castrovince has b

“On the dark days, they put some light into it.” Major League Bastian - Medium by Jordan Bastian Put yourself in Michael Brantley’s shoes for a moment. Imagine showing up to the stadium every day with a list of rehab exercises. Imagine looking over a run-down of what types of swings are allowed, and what remains off-limits. And, while this is going on for months, with discomfort in your shoulder disappearing one week and reemerging the next, your team is contending for the postseason. Imagine making it back to the field, but then suffering the kind of setback that would require a second surgery. And then, your team reaches the World Series, while your arm is in a sling. When they fall short௘²௘one win short௘²௘you are facing more of the same. Rehab, and more rehab. You stay in Cleveland all winter, when your home is in Florida. There is no timetable. No one knows if you’ll make it back. Brantley knows what kept him going through all of that. “That support system I have,” he said. “From my wife, from my kids, from all my family. I wouldn’t be there without them. It was tough times௘— ௘any time you have a lengthy rehab and a couple setbacks, and a lot of things don’t go your way. But, at the same time, when you have a support system like I do around me, they pushed me through it. “Especially on the dark days, they put some light into it and I appreciate it very much.” That support system included Michael’s dad, Mickey, who played in the big leagues, too. Mickey understands the isolation a player can feel while on the disabled list. He was blown away௘²௘but not surprised௘²௘by how Junior remained a part of the fabric of the clubhouse during Cleveland’s 2016 run. Last week, Senior joined his son for a long hitting workout at the team’s Arizona complex. “I come when he calls,” Mickey said. Brantley relies on his hitting coaches in Cleveland௘²௘Ty Van Burkleo and Matt Quatraro௘²௘but there is no one who knows the swing like Mickey. He is the architect of the smooth, left-handed stroke Indians fans have grown to love. Before Opening Day, Brantley wanted one final tune-up session with his pops. “He’s always been in my corner from day one,” Brantley said. “He built my swing. I rely on him heavily. We talk almost every day about the day before, what he saw. And I can’t thank him enough for me being here in this situation. Without him, I don’t know if it was possible and I appreciate everything he’s ever done for me.” Put yourself in Brantley’s shoes for a moment. You know the aches and pains better than ever now, having gone through so much a year ago. You saw your team come up just short, and then spend big over the winter to fortify a World Series-caliber roster. Over the winter, and throughout the spring, you got through every step௘— ௘every small, tedious step௘²௘with no setbacks. Finally. When the time came to put the last touches on the Opening Day roster, you get the call into manager Terry Francona’s office. You did it. Eighteen months after the ill-fated dive that put your career on hold, your work was rewarded with a spot on the team. You’ll bat third and play left௘²௘just like before the injury. “I didn’t put any expectations on anything,” Brantley said. “I just wanted to make sure that I came in with a clean slate every day and communicated the best I could about how I felt. And I kept challenging myself. Small steps at a time, but everything went well, and I feel blessed and fortunate.” Now, do you know what to expect from here? And here more from the QA with Mickey Brantley on his son’s comeback: Q: After everything Michael went through last year, how rewarding has it been to see your son’s work pay off this spring? Brantley Sr: “He’s worked hard. He really has. He’s been kind of leery. He doesn’t know what to expect yet. Is it old Michael? It’s just a feel thing. He’s stronger. He’s back close to lifting the weights he used to lift and all that good stuff. That’s most important௘²௘that he’s strong. He’s feeling strong. Now, that he’s feeling strong, it’s get off to a good start and just take off.” Q: Every here this spring has said the old Michael is back, especially personality-wise behind the scenes? Have you seen that, too? Brantley Sr: “Yeah. Now, it’s just a little different, because he’s still in untested water. You missed a year. ‘Am I going to be sharp?’ Those are the things that are in the back of his mind. That’s what I believe in my heart. It’s getting the confidence to get back in there, get that good feel and take off. He’s played this game a long time. He’s a very good player. He’s confident. Right now, his swing’s looking pretty good. He’s tightened it up a little bit. It looks pretty good. Now, it’s just putting it into play and seeing how far it goes.” Q: Was this a special moment to be here with him right before Opening Day? Brantley Sr: “I’m always there for him. If he has any little kind of struggle, he calls his pops. And I try to come in and straighten him out a little bit when I can. Mentally, he’s ready. I told him, ‘Are you ready?’ I’m asking him. He said, ‘Pops, I’m ready.’ He doesn’t know what to expect, missing that much time. But, he’s in a good place right now.” Q: When a player is on the DL, he can feel separated from the team. Last year, Michael still found a way to make an impact. Does it mean a lot to hear people still talking about his leadership, even when he was out? Brantley Sr: “They wanted him there. Just his insight. Setting up the . He was telling guys how to approach people௘²௘that kind of stuff. He’s always been that. He’s not only a student of the game. He teaches the game, along with it. He got the young players kind of wrapped around his finger a little bit. The run behind him. The Lindors and those guys. They like what he says. He’s pretty tough and stern with them. And, hey, I think he’s teaching them discipline. Mike’s a very disciplined player. He’s prepared. His preparation is really good. I think that’s what separates him. He does his homework. There’s no surprises. He’s ready. When he goes up there to face those , they don’t have anything that’s going to surprise him. That’s what he’s trying to bestow into Lindor and the young hitters. When you go up there, you learn, if the guy gets you out, how did he get you out? And you make your adjustments. Things like that that make everybody better.” Q: Michael would never come out and say it, but you know your son better than anyone. When the team was going to the World Series last year, and he couldn’t play, how hard was that for him? Brantley Sr: “Tremendously hard. He couldn’t do anything. He was still there, though. That was the difference. I think that’s the leadership role௘²௘the kind of leader he is. He was still with his team. That World Series, he wasn’t a part of it physically on the field and batting, but he wanted to be there for the guys.” — JB

Indians’ Carlos Santana preparing for return to outfield during series against By Ryan Lewis ARLINGTON, Texas: The first game in which the Indians experimented with Carlos Santana in the outfield during last year’s World Series, he of course had a fly ball sent his way early in the game. During a media session between Indians manager Terry Francona and reporters last week in Goodyear, Ariz., it was noted that the “was a real screamer.” Francona joked, “That was me screaming.” Francona said then that Santana was willing to play in the outfield, but that if anything went wrong, it would be the manager taking the blame for the decision. Francona put it all on himself. It was a risky move in such a high-stakes game, but the Indians felt comfortable enough with Santana’s ability in the outfield that it was worth it to keep his bat in the lineup. Santana seems slated for more time in the outfield in the Indians’ upcoming series against the Arizona Diamondbacks after working with bench coach Brad Mills. Santana played right field when the Indians traveled to to close out Cactus League play, which afforded a de facto training session to learn the new territory. “We’ll probably play him out there,” Francona said. “One, he’s willing, which I really appreciate. And two, I don’t think he’s going to hurt us, and if he did, I’d take the blame and then we can make an adjustment.” Francona said Santana hasn’t only been willing, he’s been excited about the opportunity. Since the Indians feel Santana will again be able to handle himself for a few games, it sounds as though Santana will play in at least one or two games in the outfield with Edwin Encarnacion at first base. It allows the first five in the lineup to stay intact. “I think Carlos is more athletic than maybe people give him credit for or he looks, but part of the reason is he’s so enthusiastic about trying it and I don’t want to take that enthusiasm away,” Francona said. “I love that about him. So maybe rewarding him for the effort, I think, helps.” After all, Santana has a start in the outfield in the World Series on his resume. That’s about as pressure-packed as it can get for a player outside of his normal position. If all goes well, it could become a semi-regular occurrence when the Indians enter interleague play. “I don’t have a lot of pressure like in the World Series last year,” Santana said at the end of spring training. “That’s why I’m preparing for my team. I think I’ll do a good job. It’s not a surprise. If I start playing outfield and I play good, it’s easier for Tito during the year.” Akron Beacon Journal LOADED: 04.07.2017 , Arizona Diamondbacks preview, pitching matchups Paul Hoynes, cleveland.com PHOENIX -- Here is the preview and pitching matchups for the Indians series against Arizona at Chase Field this weekend. Where: Chase Field, Friday through Sunday. TV/radio: SportsTime will televise the series. WTAM will broadcast Friday and Saturday's games. WMMS will carry Saturday and Sunday's game. Pitching matchups: RHP (first start) vs. RHP (first start) Friday at 9:40 p.m. ET; RHP Trevor Bauer (first start) vs. RHP Zack Greinke (0-0, 3.60) Saturday at 8:10 p.m. and RHP (0-0, 7.50) vs. LHP (0-1, 4.60) Sunday at 4:10 p.m. Series: This will be the first meeting between the two teams since 2014. The Indians lead overall, 9-7. Friday: Tomlin, 13-9 with a 4.40 ERA, was 0-1 with a 5.50 ERA in four Cactus League starts. In two career starts against Arizona, Tomlin has posted a 1.46 ERA (two earned runs in 12 1/3 innings). Chris Herrmann is 1-for-4 with a homer against him. Miller has never faced the Tribe. Over the last two years with Atlanta and Arizona, he's a combined 12-29. Edwin Encarnacion is hitting .333 (3- for-9) against him. Saturday: Bauer made his last exhibition start against Arizona on March 26. The former No.1 pick of the Diamondbacks has faced his old team once in the regular season, holding them to two runs with nine in eight innings. Greinke started the season opener against the Giants and went five innings in a no decision. He's 9-9 with a 3.87 ERA lifetime against the Tribe. Michael Brantley is hitting .308 (4-for-13) against him. Sunday: Kluber, who allowed five runs on six hits in the season opener Monday against Texas, is 1-0 lifetime against Arizona. He threw seven scoreless innings against them in his only start. Corbin, who lasted just four innings in a loss to the Giants on Tuesday, has never faced the Indians. He went 5-13 last year. Team updates: The Indians are coming off a three-game sweep of the Rangers. They are off to their best start since 1998 when they won their first six games of the season. Arizona started the season by taking two out of three from the Giants. The final game of the four-game set was Thursday. Injuries: Indians - 2B (right shoulder), RF (right shoulder) and RHP (right elbow) are on the disabled list. Diamondbacks: RHP Jake Barrett (right shoulder), LHP Steve Hathaway (left shoulder) and OF Socrates Brito (finger) are on the disabled list. Next: The Indians open their home season Tuesday when the White Sox visit to start a three-game series. Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: 04.07.2017 Carlos Santana, Cleveland Indians' leadoff hitter, sets new path for top of lineup Paul Hoynes PHOENIX - Leadoff hitters are supposed to be the runway models of baseball - long, sleek and fast. They usually play center field and win Gold Gloves. Combine that with at least a touch of power and you have something special. Picture Bobby Bonds, Grady Sizemore or Kenny Lofton in their primes. Carlos Santana is neither long, sleek nor particularly fast, but right now manager Terry Francona says he's his full-time leadoff hitter. Some of the reasons for that decision were on display in the Tribe's season-opening, three-game sweep of Texas at Globe Life Park in Arlington. Santana swings hard, but has a good eye at the plate. Last year he drew 99 walks to go with 99 strikeouts. He ranks second to Cincinnati's Joey Votto for the most walks in the big leagues with 601 from 2011-16. In the ninth inning Wednesday, with the Indians trailing, 6-4, Santana drew a four-pitch, bases-loaded walk from closer Sam Dyson to score a run and bring -- guess who? -- to the plate. That would be Francisco Lindor, who hit a game-winning grand slam. In Monday's season opener, the Indians entered the ninth with the score tied, 5-5. Abraham Almonte singled home the go-ahead run and Santana added an RBI double, once again at Dyson's expense, as the Indians rallied for an 8-5 victory. In the middle game of the three-game set, Santana opened the first inning with a homer for a 1-0 lead against Martin Perez. In the second inning, he singled home a run after Yan Gomes and Austin Jackson, the No.7 and No.9 hitters, reached base. In the series, Santana showed he is capable of instant offense with the sixth leadoff homer of his career. He demonstrated that his patience and knowledge of the strike zone has not diminished and that while he won't get as many RBI opportunities as he would in the middle of the order, some will be there as long as the bottom of the order gets on base. Terry Francona on hitting Carlos Santana leadoff What he didn't do was steal a base, something a leadoff hitter straight from the baseball manual is supposed to do. But in the three games against Texas, Santana hit .417 (5-for-12) with two doubles, one homer and four RBI. He's tied for the team lead with four runs and leads the team with a .533 on-base percentage. Of all those qualities, the thing Francona likes the most about Santana hitting leadoff is this - if the batters at the bottom of the order get on base to turn the lineup over, the first thing the opposing pitcher sees is an experienced switch-hitter with power and patience who has spent time in the middle of the lineup. That's an eye opener no matter who's on the mound. "It's a luxury to have," said Francona. Francona can afford to hit Santana No.1 because he has Michael Brantley, Edwin Encarnacion and Jose Ramirez to hit in the middle of the lineup. Last year Francona used Santana and Rajai Davis in the leadoff spot, Santana facing righties, Davis lefties. Davis signed with Oakland over the winter, so the job belongs to Santana. "I'm prepared," said Santana. "Tito and I talked about it in spring training. We'll see what happens." Santana stole 11 bases in 14 attempts in 2015. He was 5-for-7 last year in his first extended stay in the leadoff spot. He knows that's not part of his job description. "Baseball is a different now," said Santana. "Before the leadoff guy was running or stealing bases. I know I take a lot of walks. That's why I'm hitting leadoff." Francona moved Santana into the leadoff spot on April 22 last season. In his first at-bat, he homered off Justin Verlander. He made 85 starts in the leadoff spot last year. This is no longer new to him. "I feel much better about leading off," said Santana. "I'll be ready for every moment." Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: 04.07.2017 Small sample size: Six things we learned from Cleveland Indians three-game sweep of Texas

No.1. Balance is a starting pitcher's best friend PHOENIX -- The double play will, and always will be, a pitcher's best fiend. But there's no rule that says a pitcher can't have more than one best friend, right? This especially applies to starting pitchers for the Indians. The season-opening sweep of the Rangers was a good example of what can happen when the offense and bullpen combine to protect their starters. In Monday's opener, Corey Kluber, bothered by a blister on his pitching hand, trailed, 5-3, when he left the game after six innings. The bullpen responded by stopping the Rangers with three scoreless innings, while the offense rallied for five runs in the final three innings for an 8-5 win. Instead of a loss, Kluber received a no decision. On Tuesday, it was unclear what the Indians would get from Carlos Carrasco. Bothered by a sore right elbow, Carrasco didn't pitch well in spring training. But the offense gave him a quick 3-0 lead after 1 1/2 innings, and he carried it into the sixth when manager Terry Francona went to the bullpen. The Rangers cut the lead to 4-3 in the ninth, but closer Cody Allen struck out the side in order with the tying run on second base to preserve Carrasco's win. On Wednesday, allowed a two-run homer in the first to Nomar Mazara, but the offense gave him the lead, 3-2, on a two-run by Jose Ramirez in the fourth and Roberto Perez's sacrifice fly in the fifth. In the fifth, however, Gold Glove shortstop Francisco Lindor handed Texas a 5-3 lead with a throwing error to put Salazar on the hook for the loss. Lindor unhocked Salazar with a homer in the sixth and a game-winning grand slam in the ninth. Francona, meanwhile, used four relievers over the final 3 1/3 innings to hold Texas to one run in a 9-6 win. Salazar, like Kluber, escaped the loss. Paul Hoynes, cleveland.com No. 2. Boone Logan influence When the Indians signed left-hander Boone Logan in February they did so with the idea of easing the burden on late-inning relievers such as Bryan Shaw, and Cody Allen when it came to facing left-handed hitters. So far, so good. Logan appeared in the first two games against Texas. In the opener, he relieved Dan Otero with two out in the seventh with the Tribe trailing, 5- 4, and lefties Shin-Soo Choo and Nomar Mazara due to bat. Choo singled, but Logan struck out Mazara to end the inning. It allowed manager Terry Francona to save Miller for the seventh when he retired the side in order, striking out lefties and Joey Gallo. Francona said he does not want to extend relievers such as Miller and Cody Allen for more than an inning this early in the season so Logan helps in that regard. In the second game of the series, Logan relieved with two out in the sixth to once again retire the dangerous Odor, who started the season with homers in his first two at-bats against Corey Kluber on Monday. It kept Shaw, Miller and Allen to one inning of work in the seventh, eighth and ninth innings, respectively. No.3. Escape from Arizona Once Bryan Shaw left Arizona he became Bryan Shaw again. In spring training Shaw posted a 17.61 ERA in nine appearances. He allowed 15 earned runs on 19 hits in 7 2/3 innings. Those numbers were alarming, but Shaw wasn't concerned. "We joke around that I always have to have a guaranteed contract so I never have to make a team out of spring training," he told reporters earlier in the week. "I'm never worried about spring. Spring is a time to get your work in and getting your arm prepared for the long haul of the season." Shaw pitched a scoreless seventh inning Tuesday against Texas in the Tribe's 4-3 win. Then he showed the depth of the bullpen and his own versatility in Wednesday's 9-6 come-from-behind win. Manager Terry Francona had used closers 1 and 1a, Cody Allen and Andrew Miller, in the first two games of the series. When the Indians rallied from a 5-3 deficit to take a 9-6 lead in the ninth on Carlos Santana's bases-loaded walk and Francisco Lindor's grand slam, he called on Shaw to close the door. Shaw retired Texas in order in the ninth for just the ninth save in his big league career. No. 4. What happens now? The Indians have played only three games and already the questions are popping. What happens to Abraham Almonte when Lonnie Chisenhall is ready to come off the disabled list? Ditto for Yandy Diaz when Jason Kipnis is ready to come off the DL? The answer is time will tell. But so far it's a good problem to have because it means something is going right. In Monday's season opener Almonte started in right field. In his first three plate appearances, he walked twice, reached on an error, scored a run and stole a base. In his last at-bat of the night, he started a three-run game-winning rally in the ninth with an RBI single for a 6-5 lead. In Wednesday's 9-6 come-from-behind win, Almonte drew a one-out walk in the ninth to load the bases and set the stage for a five-run rally against Texas closer Sam Dyson. Diaz, meanwhile, has made three straight starts at third. He collected his first big-league hit, a double, in Monday's opener. On Wednesday, Diaz started the game-winning rally with a leadoff single in the ninth. Chisenhall could be back by the home opener Tuesday against the White Sox. Kipnis is scheduled to join the Indians this weekend when they play Arizona, but it's doubtful he'll back ready to play until late April. A Kipnis return to second base would move Jose Ramirez back to third and supposedly ticket Diaz for Class AAA Columbus. Chisenahll platoons in right field with Brandon Guyer so his activation could presumably mean the same thing to Almonte.

No. 5. Pace this It's unlikely that the Indians and Rangers made Commissioner Rob Manfred and MLB's pace of play advocates happy by the way they opened the season at Globe Life Park in Arlington. Here are the respective times of their three games -- 3 hours and 21 minutes, 3 hours and 14 minutes and 3 hours and 25 minutes. Just wondering, but do you think Indians' fans were complaining that it took their team too long to sweep the Rangers? Or that they fell asleep and missed Francisco Lindor's game-winning grand slam in the ninth inning Wednesday night? No. 6. How good can he be? Mudcat Grant, the old Indians pitcher, once said, "Ballplayers are like boxcars, they come and they go." It is a phrase that sticks with you. Not in a derogatory way, because we all, no matter what our occupation, come and eventually go. But there are certain players that make you pause and wonder, "How good can he really be?" Francisco Lindor is one of those players. In his first two games of the season, he went hitless. In his third game Wednesday, he made an error that led to three Texas runs, turning a 3-2 Indians' lead into a 5-3 deficit. Nothing unsual there. Players make errors, some big, some small. But what came next was unexpected. Lindor homered in his following at-bat to make the score, 5-4. In the ninth, with Texas leading, 6-5, he hit what proved to be a game-winning grand slam. Baseball is a great game for atonement, but it usually doesn't happen so quickly or with such force. So many things can derail or distract a player that talent alone is no guarantee for greatness. It takes luck, health, discipline and an ability to see the big picture beyond the next game. But most of all it takes time, the coming and going of one season after another. Lindor has just started the journey. How far and how good will he be, who knows? But it will be worth watching.

There's a new story to write: Cleveland Indians turning the page on 2016 with fast start Zack Meisel, cleveland.com CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A season-opening sweep, highlighted by a pair of ninth-inning send-offs, sure makes it easier to leave last season behind. There's a new story to write, and the 2016 postseason only has to serve as a footnote, if the Indians so choose. When the unwelcome threat of a spring snow shower fully vanishes, Terry Francona doesn't want his team thinking about last November and the two shortcomings at home against the Cubs, the locker-clearing session and the realization that each player's body was running on fumes. And, most of all, the pride the members of the organization shared for a valiant, short-handed postseason effort, in which the Indians exceeded any expectation declared publicly by a pundit, a fan or a casual viewer of the sport. Over the winter, players advanced through the athletic grieving process, a marinade of good feelings about last season and displeasure in falling short after attaining a 3-1 World Series advantage. Then, a new season begins. And that's it. No more. While the Indians' World Series window is wide open, each season is its own, individual case. The Indians' postseason momentum came to a crashing halt when Anthony Rizzo squeezed the baseball at first base in the bottom of the 10th inning of Game 7. A few months of decompression, a free-agency splash and seven, monotonous weeks of spring training followed. The Indians gained experience, but last year doesn't provide any other advantage while they navigate through this new 162-game course. It's a new year. They'll have new strengths, new flaws, new hurdles to clear, new distractions. As the season unfolds, the front office will pinpoint new blemishes to make over. Along the way, the Indians will discover a new identity. World Series Game 7: One chapter ends, another begins for the Cleveland Indians On a frigid afternoon last April, the Indians and Red Sox stood on their respective baselines for Opening Day introductions. Juan Uribe, and Collin Cowgill all took their place along the third-base line. None of the three remained on the club's roster for the October thrill ride. Cowgill lasted on the roster through mid-April. Byrd was banned for PEDs at the end of May. The Indians severed ties with Uribe at the beginning of August. Teams never look the same in September or October as they did in April. Last year's club served as the perfect example. No one could have envisioned Ryan Merritt or Andrew Miller playing integral roles in a Tribe playoff push. The front office identified the bullpen, the outfield and the catching position as areas of need last summer. They addressed the first two deficiencies (and nearly all three) in trade-deadline deals. Eventually, they'll shore up the roster this year in some fashion once it becomes apparent what is needed most, whether it's via a trade or an organizational promotion. Cleveland Indians 2017: The Window And fortunately for the Indians, a 3-0 start -- the club's first in 19 years -- has the team on track to avoid a listless April and any ensuing claims that last year's Fall Classic trip should alleviate any concerns. The team can't just rely on the postseason run as evidence that it can recover from any sluggish stretch. In the past, pleas of "it's early" have rung somewhat hollow. A World Series trip might give those words some extra merit if they're used again this year, but that doesn't mean the club can just initiate cruise control until the fall. There's no need to look back, only forward. While this could be a flourishing stretch of Tribe baseball, the years are really only bound together by chronology. Last year is in the rearview. We'll sit back and watch this team develop a new personality. The players will help to frame perception and create new, lasting memories. There's a new story to write, one that the Indians hope overshadows last season's ultimate finish. So far, they're off to a blazing start. cleveland.com is a partner of the Food Bank. Every dollar buys four meals for the hungry. Click here to donate.

Yandy Diaz mirrors Jose Ramirez, and that’s good by Travis Sawchik, posted minutes ago The Indians might have an endless supply of Jose Ramirezes. And given Ramirez’s versatility, his production — five wins above replacement last year — and his projected long-term role resulting in a contract extension this spring, it is a valuable type of asset to roll off a player development assembly line. Much of the baseball world was not familiar or much concerned with lesser-known, fellow Yandy Diaz until it was learned late in spring training Jason Kipnis would open the season on the disabled list. Diaz was signed for a relatively modest $300,000 out of Cuba in 2013 as a 21-year-old. He never ranked on a top 100 prospect list, or even a top 10 Indians prospects list at . Of course, Ramirez was not considered much of a prospect either. But they share more than over-looked status, they have similar defensive profiles and minor-league batting lines. In five minor-league seasons, Ramirez posted a -slash line of .304/.355/.411. In three minor-league seasons, Diaz slashed .307/.405/.410. Those stat lines and Diaz’s encouraging debut as the Indians’ starting are reasons to be believe that he might be another find from what continues to be productive player development system. But there is is another reason to be bullish on Diaz. Ramirez and Diaz are each alums of Carson Cistulli’s “Fringe Five,” a creation of my colleague at FanGraphs that attempts to identify prospects who lack pedigree — who have never ranked as top 100 prospects — but have “promising statistical indicators,” the ability to play “on the more challenging end of the defensive spectrum” and own a “curious biography or statistical” profile. The only “Fringe Five” box Diaz did not check was being younger for his minor-league level as he advanced through the system, but he entered pro baseball at an advanced age compared to many Latin American prospects. The “Fringe Five” is not of interest just because Ramirez and Diaz are alums, but because the Fringe Five is developing quite a track record Diaz can play on the left side of the infield, he has an interesting biography and what is most encouraging is his bat and approach. He has shown bat-to-ball skills throughout his minor-league career, and he demonstrated them in his nascent major-league career. He has swung and missed at just two of the first 42 pitches he has seen in the majors. He has an elite batting eye, posting double-digit walk rates at every minor-league stop. In 2015, he led the Double-A Eastern League in on-base percentage (.412) by nearly 20 points over No. 2-ranking Brock Stassi. Among the top-100-rated prospects with pedigree in the Eastern League that season, Diaz reached base more than were J.P. Crawford (Phillies) and Josh Bell (Pirates). Last season, he continued to hit, batting .325 with a .399 on-base mark at Triple-A Columbus, both marks ranked fifth in the . Cistulli is a quite a believer, writing of Diaz earlier this week at FanGraphs: “A contact-heavy offensive approach, plus defense, overall athleticism: this is basically the Jose Ramirez starter package.” FanGraphs prospect analyst Eric Longenhagen, who ranked Diaz as his No. 12 Indians prospect, wrote: Diaz’s downward bat path results in unimpactful ground-ball contact and, at age 25, he doesn’t project to hit for the kind of power befitting an everyday corner guy. But he has an excellent eye for the strike zone, runs fairly well, and plays great defense at third and should yield big- league value in a utility role. Diaz has a 70 arm, a great first step over at third, good hands and a quick transfer. There are scouts who think he could play a passable shortstop. He played at several differrent positions (second base, third, left field, right) this year in preparation for his utility destiny but he’s best, and plus, at third base. His eccentric swing produces very little strong contact, but he takes good at-bats. Some think he could be a low-end regular based on the quality of his approach. Diaz was signed for $300,000. And all those above assessments were written before Diaz logged his first career hit, an opposite-field double off Yu Darvish on Monday …

“What can I tell you?” said Diaz of the hit, via an interpreter. “It was amazing. It was my first hit in the big leagues. I was really excited.” Diaz said he planned to send the ball to his mother back in Cuba. The Indians like the bat more than the glove, and like the glove less than Longenhagen, but Diaz demonstrated some defensive acumen with a diving catch Monday …

“He looked like the same guy that we’ve seen all spring,” Indians manager Terry Francona said. “It looked like he was having fun playing in a game. And he made a nice play at third. You’re not going to see pitching like that every night, I hope we don’t, but he looked just fine.” The human and analytical scouting reports are generally encouraging. Baseball Prospectus’ renowned projection system, PECOTA, forecasts a .275/.366/.415 slash line and solid defense at third base for Diaz as a rookie. Dan Szymborski’s ZiPS projection forecasts Diaz to post an above-average walk rate 10.1 percent, below-average rate 18.8 and a .260/.337/.360 slash line as a rookie, a total package worth 1.0 WAR in a projected 118 games played. While a 1 WAR forecast does not sound like something to be overwhelmed by, while it is quite short of Ramirez’s recent production, it is quietly valuable in context. While there is reason to believe Diaz could be something like Ramirez, even if a more likely outcome is status as a league- average player, or even a quality reserve, that is still an incredibly valuable asset, especially at a pre-arbitration salary, especially for a team that rostered Michael Martinez in the World Series. Depth is critical. If, say, Kipnis, is lost for a more significant amount of time, if the Indians can dip from star-level production to average production instead of dipping to below-replacement level production, that can be important for a team with postseason aspirations. In the long- term, pre-arbitration production in the lineup and on the bench allows the club’s relatively modest financial resources to be used to address other holes. Even if he never produces quite like Ramirez, Diaz looks like another player development success story for a club whose entire starting lineup, save for Edwin Encarnacion, spent time in their minor-league and development system. Diaz’s resume looks a lot like Ramirez. And if the Indians have an endless such supply, it will doing nothing but help them sustain success.

Baysox 13, RubberDucks 7 (7½): Ducks fall behind 9-0 early in snow-shortened season opener For openers, this wasn’t exactly how the RubberDucks envisioned things.

The 2017 season began with smiles. The game ended with as many frowns as there were postgame fireworks.

Spirits were high following a ring ceremony for returning members of the 2016 Eastern League champions. Starters were introduced while riding in Corvette convertibles and things were looking up at on a cold, dreary Thursday afternoon in April.

Much like the weather, which eventually turned to snow, things changed quickly and everything crashed and burned for the Ducks.

What followed immediately after the pregame festivities was a by center fielder Cedric Mullins in the first at-bat of the season in what eventually became a 13-7 win by the Baysox in 7½ innings.

The game was called with the Ducks batting in the eighth.

The RubberDucks started as cold as the weather and Bowie stayed hot.

“You go through the first three innings down 9-0 and it’s difficult,” Ducks manager said. “We’ve all been through it and some point in our careers, but it’s one game. We got behind early, but we kept fighting. I’m proud of the guys for grinding it out. It was a tough night for both teams with the weather.”

Bowie lit up Ducks starter for five earned runs in two innings, chasing the right-hander after two.

Merryweather gave up five hits with two walks and a strikeout.

D.J. Brown wasn’t much better in relief as he opened the third by surrendering moon-shot home runs to D.J. Stewart and Garabez Rosa that may not have yet come down.

By the time things were over, the Baysox had crushed Ducks pitching for seven extra-base hits.

On the flip side, Bowie pitchers struck out the opposition 10 times.

“You know what? You play to play,” said RubberDucks right fielder , who went 2-for-4. “We’re not going to dwell on it. Our team is going to score a bunch of runs. It’s going to be awesome.

“We just need to tighten up on the defensive end and pitchers need to work ahead in counts. We’re not going to worry about bouncing back. We have another game tomorrow and the day after that. We’ll just keep grinding.”

While it wasn’t exactly the way the RubberDucks wanted to open their title defense, it’s just Game 1 of 140 and there are bound to be a few clunkers.

The lone bright spot was shortstop , who went 2-for-3 with five RBI. His debut was highlighted by a two-run double in the fourth and three-run home run in the eighth.

“He hit some balls hard with runners in scoring position,” Budzinski said of Chang. “That’s good to see. He hit one through the middle of the field for a home run. He’s got some pop in his bat. It’s fun to watch him play.”

Ryan Meisinger picked up the win in relief. The right-hander allowed one hit and struck out four in two scoreless innings.

Note

Game 2 at Canal Park is set for 6:35 p.m. Friday. Ducks right-hander (12-6, 3.68 last season) will square off against left- hander John Means (4-8, 4.69). David S. Glasier: Former Lake County Captain settling in at Double-A Akron By David Glasier, The News-Herald AKRON >> As the crow flies, Classic Park in Eastlake and Canal Park in Akron are separated by 43 miles. Classic Park is the home of the , a full-season Single-A affiliate of the Indians. Canal Park is the home of the Akron RubberDucks, the Indians’ Double-A affiliate,. For fans of the Captains who like to keep tabs on former Lake County players as they continue their climb through the minor leagues, it’s a straightforward ride on Interstate 271 and Route 8 to the ballpark in downtown Akron. Notwithstanding the construction zones and orange barrels that sometimes add levels of frustration to the trek, it’s worth the effort to monitor the progress of former Captains who, in the not-too-distant future, might be getting promoted to the Indians or another major-league club. Since the Captains arrived in Eastlake in 2003, 67 players who wore the Lake County uniform for any duration have made it to the big leagues. So have six former Captains managers or coaches. This season, of the 25 players on the roster of the defending Eastern League champions, 21 are former Captains. When the RubberDucks opened the 2017 season on April 6 at Canal Park against the Bowie (Md.) BaySox, all nine position players and starting pitcher Justin Merryweather once plied their trades at Classic Park. Greg Allen, the leadoff batter and center fielder, started turning heads in the Tribe’s front office in 2015 when he batted .273 with seven home runs and 45 RBI in 123 games at Lake County. The 24-year-old California native had a solid season hitting out of the leadoff spot. He stole 43 bases in 59 attempts and was beyond impressive defensively. He earned a late-season promotion to advanced Single-A Lynchburg in 2015, then split the 2016 season between Lynchburg and Akron. Allen’s body of work over those two seasons earned the former San Diego State standout an invitation to major-league spring training this year. He more than held his own, earning positive reviews from Indians players, Manager Terry Francona and his coaches. “It was a wonderful experience spending time with and learning from all those guys who made it to the World Series last season,” Allen said before the RubberDucks and BaySox took the field in damp, chilly weather. Following him in the Akron batting order were Todd Hankins (Captains, 2012, ’13), catcher Francisco Mejia (2015, ’16), Bobby Bradley (2015), shortstop Yu Chang (2015), right fielder Mike Papi (2014), left fielder Dorsys Paulino (2013; ’14, ’15), designated hitter Joe Sever (2013) and third baseman Yhoxian Medina (2012, ’13). Merryweather spent the 2015 season with the Captains. The baseball educations of Allen, Chang and Mejia included a crash course on the game’s business side last July when they were included in a proposed trade-deadline deal to the Milwaukee Brewers for catcher Jonathan Lucroy. Allen had just been promoted to Akron when news broke about the transaction. “I wasn’t expecting it, but you have to be ready for anything if you’re a professional ballplayer,” Allen said. Mejia and Chang were in Lynchburg at that time, where Mark Budzinski was the manager. Budzinski, who managed the Captains in 2014, now is the manager at Akron. “We had discussions with both players when that happened,” Budzinski said of Mejia and Chang. “You wanted them to know they were valued highly not just by us but by another organization, too.” One day later, on July 31, Lucroy exercised the no-trade clause in his contract and nixed the trade to Cleveland. Two days later, he accepted a trade to Texas. “All of those guys handled the situation well. We’re glad to have them in our organization,” Budzinski said. Before this season ends, some of the former Captains on Akron’s roster now will earn promotions to Triple-A Columbus. Chances are, the roster spot they vacate will be filled by a former Captains making the move up from Lynchburg. For some of these former Captains, the road ultimately will take them from Eastlake to Akron and, perhaps, Cleveland or another major-league outpost. Their journeys bear watching.

Cleveland Indians, Lake County Captains, preparing for home openers By David Glasier, The News-Herald Still savoring memories of the Cleveland Indians’ run to Game 7 of the World Series last season, those fans in days and weeks to come will turn out in large numbers for the 2017 season home openers of the Indians, Lake County Captains and Lake Erie Crushers. The Indians, who opened the season on the road with a three-game sweep of the Teas Rangers, will host the franchise’s 117th home opener on April 11. It will be the 24th home opener at Progressive Field. The downtown ballpark opened in April 1994 and has been extensively renovated over the past two off-seasons. The current weather forecast has the temperature in the low 60s when the first pitch is thrown at about 4:10 p.m. This home opener’s pomp and pageantry will include a celebration of the 2016 American League championship won by the Indians with playoff series victories over the and . The 2016 AL Championship flag will be raised on the pole in center field while a championship banner is unveiled in the right field terraces. On the field, players and coaches will receive their championship rings. Ceremonial first pitches will be thrown by former Indians slugger , former Cavaliers player Austin Carr and former Browns running back and Pro Football Hall of Fame member Jim Brown. Indians Senior Vice President for Public Affairs Bob DiBiasio will be witnessing his 38th home opener as a team employee. DiBiasio said last season’s heady playoff run, combined with the off-season addition of free-agent slugger Edwin Encarnacion, has elevated anticipation for this home opener to a level he hasn’t experienced since the Indians played in the World Series in 1995 and 1997. “This is a ballclub many people believe can make a repeat appearance in the Wold Series and, hopefully, go one game deeper to get that victory,” DiBiasio said. The Indians last won the World Series in 1948. On April 8, the Captains, a full-season Single-A affiliate, will play their 15th home opener at Classic Park in Eastlake. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. in what is supposed to be baseball-friendly weather — clear and a temperature in the low 50s at the outset. This will be the 10th home opener in Eastlake for Captains General Manager Neil Stein. He said the overriding theme for this season will be a celebration of the 67 former Captains players who’ve made it to the major leagues with the Indians or other teams. Six former Captains managers and coaches have done the same. Stein said he’s sure fans who come to the home opener and 69 scheduled home dates to follow will be impressed by the new video screen array on the scoreboard as well as the new public-address system and speakers. Heightened interest in the parent club Indians should spill over to the Captains, according to Stein. “Baseball will be more top-of-mind, especially at the start of the season,” Stein said.

Torey Lovullo pleased with Diamondbacks after series win Bob McManaman , azcentral sports Published 9:51 p.m. MT April 6, 2017 | Updated 4 hours ago Win or lose Thursday night in the finale of their season-opening, four-game series against the visiting , the Diamondbacks at least entered the game knowing they could feel good about themselves. A victory would give them a 3-1 series win, which would be something huge to brag about. But even a loss would guarantee them of nothing worse than a 2-2 series split, which considering how good the Giants have been, would be plenty good enough for just about any team in the Diamondbacks’ shoes. Or would it? First-year manager ratcheted up expectations before Thursday night’s game at Chase Field when he said “good” should no longer be considered “good enough” anymore. “Probably more in the back of our minds everybody’s thinking about that, that the San Francisco Giants have come to town and we won two out of the first three,” Lovullo said. “But we have a little bit of work to do today, and I don’t want them to be satisfied with just splitting the series. That’s a mentality we need to develop here as we head into the next level.” The Diamondbacks didn’t disappoint, rallying from two deficits to eventually cruise to a 9-3 victory in front of 15,308 for their third comeback win in the series. That’s two more wins than the Diamondbacks could register all season against the Giants last year at home. San Francisco took nine of 10 from Arizona at Chase Field in 2016. This one could have gone either way, as both starting pitchers – Jeff Samardzija for the Giants and left-hander for the Diamondbacks – were dialed in early and hitting their spots in the strike zone. Samardzija struck out five of the first six batters he faced. Ray retired the first seven he saw until former Diamondbacks second baseman Aaron Hill tagged him for a solo blast to left on a 3-2 pitch. and Paul Goldschmidt hit back-to-back homers off Samardzija in the fourth that tied the score at 2. After a Buster Posey RBI double briefly gave the Giants a 3-2 lead, Jake Lamb ripped a three-run shot off Samardzija into the swimming pool area in the sixth for what would prove to be the game-winner. The Diamondbacks, though, weren’t done. Jeremy Hazelbacker came off the bench and, for the second straight night, delivered a pinch-hit RBI single as Arizona padded its lead in the sixth. A.J. Pollock added a two-run single in the eighth. Peralta, who began the day 0 for 9 with three strikeouts, drove in Pollock with a ground- rule double. The Diamondbacks also got a pair of singles from Chris Herrmann, who got the start in left field, and two hits overall from Goldschmidt, who moved ahead of Steve Finley and into second place on the club’s all-time hit list with 849. Luis Gonzalez is first with 1,337. Asked for his impressions afterward, Lovullo sounded pleased. “We feel very good about it, but it’s not a time for us to rest on it for too long,” he said. “We know we have another quality team coming in here tomorrow (the defending American League champion Cleveland Indians), and that’s the beauty of our schedule is that we know some real good teams are in here to test us, and we want to be ready for that moment. “What I’m most proud of with these guys is we didn’t look past today. We stayed together with our at-bats, our pitches picked up one another coming out of the bullpen, and it was a really good, strong team effort, and that’s what I focus on. At the end of the day, when we win a game like we did today and then win a series against a quality opponent like the Giants, it’s well deserved. These guys earned everything that they did over these past four games, and it’s a great way for us to start the season.” Before the game, Lovullo said he wants his players to stay in the moment but with their eyes toward the future. “My main objective is that our guys fight, unite, compete together and be ready for tomorrow,” he said. “And that’s what I want them to do every single day – just figure out where they are tomorrow after tonight’s game. When the Giants leave town today, I want them to know that they played a very good team and that they had to earn everything. “Whether we win or lose tonight, I think there’s a lot of different ways we’re going to look at this series and I’m feeling very positive about how these guys are doing right now. But we have a long way to go and a lot more to prove before we can say we’re satisfied.” Arizona Republic LOADED: 04.07.2017 Shelby Miller's long, slow wait is almost over Bob McManaman , azcentral sports 7:45 p.m. MT April 6, 2017 If Shelby Miller thought time was ticking by at a snail’s pace while he’s been waiting for his turn to pitch, just wait until the right-hander walks into the Diamondbacks’ clubhouse on Friday. It will drag along so slowly, it might leave him catatonic. “I’ll feel good. I’ll probably have some butterflies and be a little nervous,” he said. “I mean, nervous probably isn’t really the right word for it. I’ll probably be more anxious than anything. But yeah, just sitting here waiting for that time to come? It seems like it goes by forever.” When Miller finally does make his 2017 debut Friday night against the visiting Indians as the fifth starter in Torey Lovullo’s starting rotation, he can only hope the first inning at Chase Field flies by at warp speed. A nice 1-2-3 first frame might be the quickest way for him to finally turn the page on his disappointing 2016 season. It was wrought with headache and failure, a strange trip to the disabled list, and an unflattering 3-12 record with a 6.15 ERA. A new year, however, means a new start, and Miller has been looking forward to this one for months. “Yeah, I mean probably so,” he said. “Probably the first start is a little bit more special than others, maybe. All of them are meaningful to me. We’ve been doing this for so long. Each one is big. This one, though, is probably bigger than any other because of how I performed last year. It obviously wasn’t good. “Coming back and trying to trying to rebound this year is obviously one of the biggest things I’m trying to do, and I’m feeling good and ready to go. Friday’s definitely going to be a special day for me.” Lovullo is just as eager to see how it turns out. “I’m anxious to watch everybody go to work,” he said. “I know he’s anxious because he’s the last starter and he’s had to wait patiently. But during that time, he’s been a tremendous teammate. He’s been backing all of his guys, and I can see the excitement in his eyes. I know that he has a lot to prove, and I know he’s anxious to get this season started.” Once he gets this start out of the way, Miller also knows he won’t have to talk about last year nearly as much. Then again, it sounds like he’s already moved on from that. “I’m not really worried about last year,” he said. “I’m more focused on what’s happening right now.” Don’t be surprised if Lovullo gives regularly scheduled days off to several of his everyday players, but specifically outfielders A.J. Pollock and David Peralta. Both missed most of the season last year with significant injuries, and Lovullo doesn’t want to overload them moving forward. “Part of the plan is to give David several days off, and last year was a year where he missed a considerable amount of time, so we don’t want to drop a 155-game schedule right on him this year,” Lovullo said. “We’re going to pick our spots with David. We’re going to pick our spots with all of our players. Nobody is going to play every single game; that’s my objective.” Lovullo didn’t want to put a hard number on the amount of games he plans to sit Pollock. The center fielder, though, will get more days off than say, first baseman Paul Goldschmidt. “Goldy’s going to play somewhere in the middle of the 150s,” Lovullo said. “A.J. will not. He’ll play less. A.J. is in the same category as David. These are two real important pieces to our puzzle that are going to contribute all the way through the end of September, so knowing what they did last year and the time they missed, we can’t go full-throttle on them. “It’s a dangerous proposition. We want our athletes healthy, strong and ready to perform in the most important time of the season, and that’s going to be, hopefully, meaningful games in August and September.” On a day when Cardinals running back David Johnson took batting practice with his players, Lovullo on Thursday said he would like to offer standing invitations to any and all athletes that want to try their hand in the batting cage and see what it’s like to be a big leaguer. “We welcome anybody that wants to come take BP with us,” the first-year manager said. “Come out to the stadium and get a taste of what’s going on around here. I think as athletes go, we can identify with one another, what the grind is like, and when you can step away and have a moment in another sport, see how it’s run and just get down on that level, it’s pretty exciting.” Lovullo noted that NBA star Russell Westbrook, a fellow UCLA alum, will be in town with the Oklahoma City Thunder for a game Friday night against the Suns. Lovullo said he’d love it if Westbrook could also make it to the ballpark. As for Johnson, the manager said he loves the person and the player and joked he would “do anything” to add him to the Diamondbacks. “But I saw his swing,” Lovullo said. “He might have to start in the minor leagues.” Arizona Republic LOADED: 04.07.2017 Diamondbacks will store in humidor Bob McManaman , azcentral sports Published 6:10 p.m. MT April 6, 2017 | Updated 8 hours ago In a continuing quest to upgrade the environment and experience at their home stadium, the Diamondbacks have tried just about everything over the years to punch up the place. They’ve brought in a jumbo, 3-foot long corn dog, a Big Unit and a Mark Trumbo. Some ideas have worked better than others. Now, the Diamondbacks have decided to install a giant humidor at Chase Field. Bet you can’t guess what they’re going to do with that. Close, but no cigars. The team has been toying with the thought for a while and on Thursday, Diamondbacks President and CEO Derrick Hall made it official when he announced during an interview on the club’s flagship radio station that the humidor is now a full-go. “We, for the past five or six years, have talked about the idea,” Hall told Arizona Sports 98.7 FM. “We talked to former pitchers, whether it’s J.J. Putz or pitchers who have retired or pitchers we’ve traded, and said, ‘What did you like, what didn’t you like?’ They all talked about the grip. “The one thing you don’t really want to do is negatively impact the offense because that’s part of the fun of Chase Field or Coors Field. But I don’t think (a humidor) really did diminish the offense at Coors Field. We don’t know if it’s going to make much of a difference, but it’s probably a necessity.” Because of Arizona’s sweltering summer heat and dry conditions – not to mention the Valley's high elevation – storing baseballs in a specially designed humidor should improve grip. According to guidelines, the optimum conditions for storing balls should be 70 degrees with about 50 percent relative humidity. A humidor can assure those numbers, and Hall said plans are in the works to have one installed in downtown Phoenix in about a month. “I haven’t really thought a lot about it,” manager Torey Lovullo said, adding, “Who knows what the data vs. the current data will show? I just know we (will be) up to par with what Major League Baseball considers to be their guidelines, and that’s really important to all of us.” The Colorado Rockies are the only MLB franchise that uses a humidor. They had one installed at Coors Field in Denver in 2002. While it may have improved a pitcher’s grip, it didn’t help him throw breaking balls in the high altitude of Denver. The real purpose of using a humidor in the Mile High City was to reduce the bounciness of the baseball and slightly increase its weight so it wouldn’t travel so far when hit. The thinner air at high altitude reduces resistance on batted balls, enabling them to travel farther. According to data tracked over the first 10 years of the humidor’s existence at Coors, the desired results were achieved. From 2002-11, the average number of home runs and runs scored at Coors Field dropped significantly – by 20-25 percent in both cases. In recent years, however, those numbers have started to change and once again, more homers have been consistently hit at the stadium. Will the numbers dip and spike just the same at Chase Field, which sits 1,100 feet above sea level – 4,180 feet lower than that of Coors Field? “I couldn’t tell you what it’s like to play with a humidor ball or a non-humidor ball,” said Diamondbacks infielder Daniel Descalso, who spent the past two seasons with the Rockies. “I don’t think it’s really stopped offensive production over there in Denver, so I don’t anticipate it having a huge impact here, other than maybe pitchers will have a little more success gripping the ball, and I think that’s really what it was designed to do so it’s not so slick.” Diamondbacks left-hander Patrick Corbin didn’t know about the team’s plans to begin using a humidor until Thursday afternoon, but he said if it helps reduce the slickness of baseballs, he’s all for it. “Some of them are slick,” he said. “You kind of got to rub it up when you get the ball back, pretty much every couple pitches when you get a new ball. If it helps out there, that’ll be great. The ball does feel a little dusty at times, too, I would say. But yeah, that would be good if that’s something they can eliminate.” A better grip could better protect hitters, the players said. “You hear guys talk about using pine tar or rosin as a pitcher,” Descalso said, “and they’re saying it’s so they have a better feel so they’re not losing balls at hitters’ heads. So if a guy has a better feel for it and can be more around the (strike) zone, I think that’s good.” “We’ll see what happens,” Corbin said, “but hopefully the ball just feels better, you get a better grip, and when a pitcher can have a better grip, that makes the game safer as well.” As for speculation that the Diamondbacks are adding the humidor to appease a pitcher such as Zack Greinke and make his numbers look better, Hall said that’s the case at all. “You could talk to Zack Greinke or any pitcher we have and they say, ‘This is news to me,’ just as it is to everyone else out there,” Hall said. “We’ve never had a conversation with any current pitcher, and this is something we’ve looked at for five-plus years, so well before Zack Greinke was here. “It had nothing to do with last year’s (team) ERA, as bad as that was. We started looking at this when we were pitching pretty well, too.” Corbin isn’t really sure what to think about the whole idea. “I didn’t know a humidor was this big of a deal,” he said.

Arizona Republic LOADED: 04.07.2017