Depleted lineup unable to back Kluber's gem What you need to know for Players Weekend

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1 Depleted lineup unable to back Kluber's gem By Jordan Bastian / August 23rd, COMMENTS CLEVELAND -- The lineup card that was pinned to the wall inside the Indians' clubhouse on Wednesday afternoon was hardly the most formidable order to be posted this season. With four regulars missing due to injury, Cleveland is just trying to do what it can to stay afloat offensively. Pitching and defense become the priority in times like this, and the former was in fine shape with ace Corey Kluber on the hill against the Red Sox. He certainly did his part in another overpowering display, but the depleted lineup could not hold up its end in a 6-1 loss to Boston at Progressive Field. "Sometimes you don't have everybody," Indians manager Terry Francona said. "That doesn't mean you can't win. It just can be a little more challenging. Rather than back down, you just keep fighting." The lineup that the Tribe trotted out there to support Kluber was sans Michael Brantley (right ankle), Jason Kipnis (right hamstring), Lonnie Chisenhall (right calf) and Carlos Santana (back). Three of those four are on the 10-day disabled list, while the other, Santana, might be able to return from a two-game absence Thursday. Over the past two games (both losses), Cleveland has scored a pair of runs: One via a leadoff homer from Francisco Lindor (aka "Mr. Smile" for Players Weekend) on Tuesday and the other courtesy of an eighth-inning shot from Edwin Encarnacion (aka "EE" for Players Weekend) on Wednesday. Toss those out, and the Indians' offense went 2-for-54 with 18 strikeouts and two singles, including one that was tapped two feet in front of home plate. While it is not entirely fair to discredit the work of Boston starters Doug Fister and Drew Pomeranz over the past two nights, Cleveland's injuries certainly appear to have taken a toll on the lineup. "Every team goes through injuries throughout the course of the year," Kluber said. "We've gone through them before.... If guys just go out there and stay within themselves, and if we play the way we know that we can when we're playing good, I think we'll come through it OK. It's not like all these guys are having season-ending injuries." Only one outing ago, Kluber (aka "Klubes" for Players Weekend) endured his own health scare. Cleveland's ace rolled his ankle Friday against the Royals and limped off the field at Kauffman Stadium after only 74 pitches. The pitcher bounced back quickly, got through his bullpen session with no issues Sunday and took the mound as planned against the Red Sox. Kluber then worked into the eighth, logging 114 pitches and piling up 12 strikeouts along the way. Kluber only slipped twice, but that was enough in light of the Tribe's offensive woes. In the fifth, Kluber fired an elevated cutter to the inside part of the plate to Mitch Moreland, who pulled his hands in and used a quick swing to shoot the baseball over the wall in right for a 1-0 lead. After retiring two hitters to start the eighth, Kluber walked Brock Holt, hit Eduardo Nunez with a pitch and then allowed an RBI single to Mookie Betts. "Not ideal," Kluber said. No, but it would be hard to complain about what Kluber has done of late. Dating back to June 1, Kluber has gone 9-2 with a 1.87 ERA and 167 strikeouts against 19 walks in 115 1/3 innings. Over that time period, he has generated the most swinging strikes (307) in baseball. On Wednesday, Kluber also reached 200 strikeouts for the fourth straight season. "My goodness," Indians manager Terry Francona said. "He pitched a great game." What you need to know for Players Weekend By Daniel Kramer / MLB.com August 23rd, COMMENTS As the pennant races heat up near the end of the dog days of summer, the inaugural Players Weekend commences on Friday, connecting fans with players for a celebration of creativity and individuality. Here's everything you need to know about the festivities in a handy FAQ format. What is Players Weekend? Players Weekend is a first-of-its kind opportunity for players to show their individual flair and allows fans to get to know them better. Established in conjunction between Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association, all 30 clubs will be participating through all games running Friday through Sunday, and every team will be in action each of those three days. All clubs will wear non-traditional alternate uniforms, and each player is allowed to wear his nickname of choice on the back of his jersey, and a patch on his sleeve to pay tribute to a person or persons who aided their career. Why are players wearing colorful uniforms? The non-traditional alternate uniforms, designed by Majestic, were inspired by uniforms you would typically see in Little League, tying into the theme of the youth involvement that Commissioner Rob Manfred has invested in since taking office ahead of the 2015 season. Players are also allowed to wear and use uniquely colored and designed spikes, batting gloves, wristbands, compression sleeves, catcher's masks, and bats. New Era is also providing specially-designed hats, and colorful socks are being provided by Stance. What do the patches on the players' sleeves symbolize? On each player's right sleeve is a blank patch which he can fill with the name (or names) of a person, organization, league or value that was instrumental in his development. A modified Major League Baseball "Evolution" logo will be perched at the top of the patch, showing the evolutionary progression of a player to demonstrate their path to the big leagues. Under the logo is the phrase 'Thank You,' which sits just above the blank space for each player to inscribe the name of their respective influential figure(s). Many players are selecting members of their families. What are some notable nicknames to be donned on the back of jerseys? Perhaps the most fun aspect of Players Weekend will be the throng of nicknames -- one of the game's cornerstones of individuality, more unique in baseball than any other sport -- donning the back of each jersey. The usual suspects will go with their mainstream monikers, such as Jose Bautista ("Joey Bats"), Andrew McCutchen ("Cutch") and Carlos Gonzalez ("CarGo"). But others are capitalizing on the creative capacity.

2 Mariners third baseman Kyle Seager is going with "Corey's Brother" as a humorous quip alluding to the stratospheric launch of his younger brother's career with the Dodgers. Eric Thames will wear "Sang Namja", a Korean phrase, to pay homage to his three-year tenure playing overseas. Hunter Pence will wear 'Wawindaji,' the direct translation of his first name in Swahili. All players have been encouraged, but are not required, to wear nicknames. Will this be an annual event? MLB and the MLBPA haven't formally announced any plans for Players Weekend beyond 2017, though it did align with last Sunday's Little League Classic, which Manfred has said he hopes will develop into an annual event. The Pirates and Cardinals each gave audiences a preview of their Players Weekend garb in the nationally telecasted game at historic Bowman Field in Williamsport, Pa. What are the best avenues for fans to follow the action? Fans can follow and take part in the conversation by using the hashtag #PlayersWeekend on all social media platforms. Will there be any charitable proceeds from Players Weekend? Game-worn jerseys from Players Weekend will be auctioned at MLB.com/auctions, with 100 percent of proceeds to be donated to the MLB- MLBPA Youth Development Foundation, an establishment focused on improving the caliber, effectiveness and ability of amateur baseball and softball across the U.S. and Canada. Players will also have the opportunity to wear T-shirts highlighting a charity or cause of their choice during pregame workouts and postgame interviews. Tribe falls to Red Sox despite Kluber's 12 K's By Jordan Bastian and Ian Browne / MLB.com August 23rd, COMMENTS CLEVELAND -- The Red Sox knew that taking down Corey Kluber would be a tall task on Wednesday night. Boston was up for the challenge, as it did just enough offensively to back another strong effort from lefty Drew Pomeranz en route to a 6-1 victory at Progressive Field. Cleveland's American League Cy Young Award candidate and Pomeranz (aka "Big Smooth" for Players Weekend) matched zeros until Kluber (aka "Klubes" for Players Weekend) finally flinched in the fifth, when Mitch Moreland (aka "2-Bags" for Players Weekend) sent an elevated cutter into the right-field seats for the game's first breakthrough. Boston added on from there, and the American League East-leading Red Sox maintained their 4 1/2-game lead over the Yankees. Boston also moved 20 games over.500 for the first time this season. In a four-game series pitting two teams that are on course to meet in an AL Division Series for the second straight year, the Red Sox have taken two of the first three. The Indians swept the Red Sox last October. "These are intense games," said Pomeranz said. "Every game [feels like] a must-win game for us, after playing them last year." Kluber was otherwise brilliant for the Indians, whose lead atop the AL Central held firm at 4 1/2 games due to the Twins' loss to the White Sox. The righty was charged with two runs and ended with 12 strikeouts and one walk over 7 2/3 innings in the hard-luck loss. Kluber now has a 1.87 ERA over his past 16 turns, dating back to June 1. "Kluber's one of the best pitchers in the game," said Red Sox second baseman Eduardo Nunez. "We just tried to fight him and put up good atbats." Pomeranz leaned heavily on his knuckle curve to keep Cleveland's depleted lineup at bay. With four regulars out with injuries, the Tribe's patchwork offense struggled Pomeranz went 5 1/3 innings, scattered two hits and countered his four walks with nine strikeouts. "[He threw a] fastball up that was getting past our barrel," Indians manager Terry Francona said. "And then, [he had] a very good curveball -- threw it for strikes, threw it for strike-to-ball. He coupled that with the fastball that he kind of rode for the most part up, out over the zone. He really gave us fits." With the win, Pomeranz improved to 13-4 with a 3.18 ERA, and continued his recent run of dominance. Over his past 13 outings, the lefthander has gone 7-0 with a 2.14 ERA, while developing into Boston's No. 2 starter. "I go out there trying to make pitches and not let them get on base or score anyways," said Pomeranz. "I don't really like to look at the other pitcher, because I still have to go out there and do my job. If I do my job, it doesn't matter who's out on the other side." The Red Sox tacked on five runs over the final two frames -- highlighted by a two-run homer by Nunez in the ninth. That more than overcame the solo homer that Tribe slugger Edwin Encarnacion (aka "EE" for Players Weekend) sent a projected 452 feet into the left-field bleachers against Boston reliever Addison Reed in the eighth. MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Betts buys insurance: With two outs in the eighth and his pitch count climbing, Kluber issued a walk to Brock Holt (aka "Brock Star" for Players Weekend) and then hit Nunez with a pitch. That set things up for Mookie Betts, who pulled a pitch with an exit velocity at 99 mph, per Statcast. The grounder struck the glove of third baseman Giovanny Urshela and shot into left field, scoring Holt to give the Red Sox a 2-0 lead. That also ended Kluber's night at 114 pitches. "I wanted to let him have a chance to finish the inning," Francona said. "That would've been a heck of a play by Gio. But it's a ball that goes off the third baseman's glove for the next run. [Kluber] pitched a great game." Nunez puts game on ice: Nunez's shot off Tribe reliever Bryan Shaw in the ninth turned a tightly contested game into a romp for the Red Sox. The blast was not just the infielder's second in as many nights, but his sixth in 101 at-bats with Boston. Before being traded to the Red Sox, Nunez had four homers in 302 at-bats with the Giants this season. "I don't know that we were thinking home run," said Red Sox manager John Farrell. "He was swinging the bat well. We needed to add to our offense, which, let's face it, month of July, we were stagnant. He's done that and the power certainly has been there. He's such a good high-ball hitter and that's where a lot of those home runs have come -- from pitches up." More > QUOTABLE "If guys just go out there and stay within themselves and if we play the way we know that we can when we're playing good, I think we'll come through it OK. It's not like all these guys are having season-ending injuries or anything like that." -- Kluber, on Cleveland's recent rash of injuries SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS

3 Kluber has recorded eight or more strikeouts in 14 consecutive home starts, tying him with Pedro Martinez ( ) and Nolan Ryan (1973) for the second-longest streak of its kind in MLB history. Sandy Koufax boasts the record with 15 home starts in a row with at least eight punchouts during the 1965 campaign. Kluber has joined Bob Feller ( ) and Sam McDowell ( ) as the only pitchers in Indians history with at least 200 strikeouts in four consecutive seasons. The Red Sox are 39-4 in the past 43 games they've scored four runs or more, an indication of how good their pitching has been this season. WHAT'S NEXT Red Sox: With Boston seeking a series victory, lefty ace Chris Sale (14-5, 2.62 ERA) closes out this four-game series when he pitches Thursday's 7:10 p.m. ET contest. Sale (aka "Stickman" for Players Weekend) has had his share of problems against the Indians, going 5-7 with a 4.81 ERA in 17 starts. Outfielder Rajai Davis will arrive in time for the game and might make his Red Sox debut after being acquired from the Athletics on Wednesday. Indians: Right-hander Trevor Bauer (12-8, 4.50 ERA) is scheduled to take the ball for the Tribe, who seek a four-game split in an MLB Network Showcase Game on Thursday at Progressive Field. Bauer (aka "Bauer Outage" for Players Weekend) has gone 7-3 with a 3.83 ERA in 13 starts at home this season. 'Bauer Outage' starts MLB Network Showcase By Ian Browne / 12:55 AM ET + 22 COMMENTS The schedule indicates that Thursday's MLB Network Showcase game at Progressive Field will be the final time the Red Sox and Indians meet this season. But that doesn't account for the postseason. And right now, the two teams are on a collision course to meet in an American League Division Series for the second straight October. Given the quality of the games between the Sox and Tribe in 2017, that is a matchup people should be rooting for. In Thursday's finale of a four-game series at Progressive Field, the Red Sox will send lanky lefty ace Chris Sale (aka "The Stickman" for Players Weekend) to the mound. The Indians counter with right-hander Trevor Bauer (aka "Bauer Outage" for Players Weekend). Sale has been everything the Red Sox had hoped when they acquired him from the White Sox back in December. However, Sale has had his share of trouble against Cleveland in his career, going 5-7 with a 4.81 ERA in 17 starts. In fact, Sale was rocked by the Indians in an Aug. 1 epic at Fenway, giving up eight hits and seven runs over five innings in a victory by the Red Sox. Last October, the Indians stole home field from the Red Sox for the ALDS in the final weekend of the season. The Indians wound up sweeping the Red Sox in three games. Boston leads Cleveland by 3 1/2 games in the race for home field entering Thursday's game. "Extremely important. Home-field advantage is important for any team," said Red Sox manager John Farrell. "We know where we stand, we know what's ahead and believe me, we're doing everything we can to secure it." Right now, the Indians are just trying to get healthy. Star reliever Andrew Miller and second baseman Jason Kipnis were placed on the disabled list this week, joining Lonnie Chisenhall, Danny Salazar and Josh Tomlin. "There's no team on the other side that's going to feel sorry for us," said Indians manager Terry Francona. "We talk about it all the time. There's times during a season where winning is harder than others, and there's times where maybe you've got to keep your head above water. That's why we always fall back on, let's try to win tonight." Three things to know about this game Veteran outfielder Rajai Davis, acquired by the Red Sox from the Athletics during Wednesday's game, will arrive in time for Thursday's finale and might start in center. Davis played for the Indians last season and hit a game-tying two-run homer in Game 7 of the 2016 World Series. Indians first baseman Carlos Santana was out Tuesday and Wednesday due to lower-back tightness, but was on the mend. Francona said there is a strong chance that Santana can play Thursday. Santana has posted a.930 OPS in August. Sale thrown the fourth-highest rate of pitches within strike zone of any full-time starter (min. 1,500 pitches), and he has also recorded more punchouts within the bounds of the Statcast strike zone than any other pitcher this year. Using strikeouts and the quality of contact he's allowed on batted balls, Statcast also calculate Sale's expected batting average allowed on in-zone pitches to be.218, which ranked as the third-lowest of any full-time starter entering Wednesday's action. Hamstring strain sends Kipnis to disabled list By Jordan Bastian / August 23rd, COMMENTS CLEVELAND -- The Indians placed second baseman Jason Kipnis on the disabled list on Wednesday with a strained right hamstring, one day after reliever Andrew Miller was shelved with a right knee issue. For both players, this marks the second stint on the DL in the second half with the same injuries. Indians manager Terry Francona does not think the team made a mistake by activating either player prior to their setbacks. "I don't think so," Francona said before Wednesday's game against the Red Sox. "We try to [wait until] when guys say they're ready and the medical people say they're ready. I know, shoot, I made Kip play one more [Minor League rehab] game than he really wanted to. He was mad at me that night. "I think you try to use your best information, and it's certainly not perfect. We know that. And guys do get hurt, and when they get hurt, we do question ourselves -- I think as we should. But I don't think we would've done anything different." Kipnis left Tuesday's 9-1 loss after one at-bat after reaggravating the left hamstring that kept him on the DL from July 9-Aug. 5. An MRI on Wednesday morning showed that Kipnis strained the hamstring again, but Francona noted that it could be a case of scar tissue breaking up. For now, there is no clear timetable for Kipnis' return. Jose Ramirez and Erik Gonzalez (called up from Triple-A Columbus on Wednesday) are options to fill at second base.

4 "Rather than maybe try to milk it for three or four days, I think we felt like, 'Let's get him healthy,'" Francona said. "And I think he agreed with it. So there's really no timetable. It's going to be on how he feels. If it truly is scar tissue, he'll be quicker than probably normal, but like I said, they truly don't know. His strength is pretty good, so we'll see how it goes." Miller exited Monday's 5-4 win in the seventh inning after seven pitches after patella tendinitis in his right knee flared up. The reliever met with Dr. Richard Parker -- the Cleveland Cavaliers' head team physician -- because the injury is more common among NBA players. The early feedback was that the injury does not appear to be as bad as during Miller's first DL stint (Aug. 2-17). "He's way ahead of where he was a couple weeks ago," Francona said. "He saw Dr. Parker today, and the medical people will put out more [on Thursday], kind of more detailed. But I think the good news from Dr. Parker was he's real confident that Andrew's going to pitch and help us, which is good news." Chisenhall on cusp of return Right fielder Lonnie Chisenhall (10-day DL, right calf) has not played in a Minor League rehab game since Saturday due to his wife giving birth to their third child. Francona noted that Chisenhall will work out with the Indians on Friday, and the team will decide at that point if he is ready to be activated or should play another rehab game on Sunday. "I told him, 'Why don't we get you back here and just revisit,'" Francona said. "He's had quite a week. So we'll sit down and talk and see what we think he needs and what he thinks he needs. I think he felt like he was in a pretty good place." Santana on the mend First baseman Carlos Santana (back tightness) remained out of the starting lineup on Wednesday, but Francona said he might be available off the bench. Santana might be able to return to the lineup for Thursday's game against the Red Sox. With Santana out, Yandy Diaz served as the designated hitter and Edwin Encarnacion slid to first base. "A couple of days down, it can help him," Francona said. "You don't want him walking around with a back that is killing him, but a couple of days' rest can really maybe help energize him, because he's played a bunch. I know before I got here he played. He plays. He posts every day. It's really pretty amazing." Covering the Bases: Game 125 FIRST: One look at the Indians lineup on Wednesday and it is pretty obvious that the injury bug has bitten hard. An offense lacking Michael Brantley, Carlos Santana, Jason Kipnis and Lonnie Chisenhall then went out and looked as depleted on the field as it does on paper. There is something else troubling the Tribe right now, though. One of Cleveland s healthy hitters, and the most valuable one to date this season, has gone uncharacteristically cold. Since the All-Star break, Jose Ramirez has cooled off considerably, and it s been especially glaring in light of how much the offense needs him right now. Other than [Jose] Altuve, Indians manager Terry Francona said, everybody in the league at one point kind of comes back a little bit. [Altuve] just doesn t seem to do that. [Ramirez] has been in a little bit of a rough stretch where sometimes you just don t see that ball as good as others. In the 40 games leading up to the All-Star break, Ramirez was one of the hottest hitters in baseball. Over that stretch, he hit.405/.450/.753 with 10 homers, 19 doubles, three triples, 40 runs scored and nearly as many walks (12) as strikeouts (15) in 171 plate appearances. In the 36 games that have followed, Ramirez has hit.218/.268/.324 in 153 plate appearances. That includes Wednesday night s 0-for-3 showing with a walk. He s taking some pitches I think he thinks are balls and then they re strikes, Francona said. The pitches he s got to hit, he s kind of peeled off a little bit, where instead of rifling it to the gap, it s been a fly ball. To Francona s point, Ramirez has taken 19.9-percent called strikes in the second half, compared to 16.5 percent in the 40 games leading up to the season s intermission. Here s the called strikes in that 40-game sample before the break: And here are the called strikes in the second half: It s easy to spot what Francona is talking about right there. Before the break, Ramirez s called strikes were more concentrated. In the second half, the called strikes have leaked across the zone and into the upper third of the zone. Ramirez s swing percentage in the two time periods hasn t dropped all that much: 41.9 percent in the second half, compared to 44.2 percent in the earlier sample. That s only a 2.3-percent dip, though the called-strike percentage has climbed by 3.4 percent between the same two periods. Ramirez has struggled across the board, but the production against fastballs has been one of the bigger issues within the overall problems. Ramirez hit.456 with an.822 slugging percentage against all fastballs in the 40 games before the break, but that s dropped to.216/.297 in the second half. The good part about Josey is he s a known, very good hitter, Francona said. He ll get hot again. SECOND: One bit of good news in the last week for the Tribe was that ace Corey Kluber did not join Brantley, Kipnis, Chisenhall, Andrew Miller, Josh Tomlin, Danny Salazar, Abraham Almonte, Boone Logan and Cody Anderson on the disabled list. No, Kluber s ankle was fine in his side session on Sunday and it certainly looked OK as he mowed hitters down on Wednesday night. Kluber struck out 12 over 7.2 impressive innings against Boston. Hitters were literally falling over while swinging: I d say he s OK, Francona quipped. The fifth inning opened with a sharp grounder to first baseman Edwin Encarnacion, who flipped the ball to Kluber for the out. The pitcher had to hustle over to beat Rafael Devers to the bag and indeed looked OK. The hope now will be that the ankle problem that came up in K.C. remains a non-factor.

5 Kluber had one elevated cutter smashed by Mitch Moreland for a homer in the fifth, and then the ace flinched with two outs in the eighth. Francona wanted to give the righty a chance to finish that last inning, but a walk, hit-by-pitch and RBI single ended his night at 114 pitches. Here are Kluber s updated stats since June 1: 16 starts IP 1.87 ERA 0.76 WHIP.171 AVG.215 OBP.278 SLG 167 K 19 BB 3 CG 13.0 K/9 8.8 K/BB 39.1 K% 4.4 BB% 34.7 K-BB% 18.5 SwK% Decent. Heading into Wednesday, Kluber led the Majors with 291 swinging strikes generated since June 1. Second on that list was Chris Sale with 243. Kluber upped that MLB-leading total to 307 with 16 more against the Red Sox. THIRD: Alas, Kluber found his way into the loss column in this one, thanks to the anemic performance by the local nine. Jay Bruce ended an 0-for-28 slump for the lineup with an infield single in the second inning. Encarnacion ended a 15-inning scoreless drought for the offense with a solo homer in the eighth. Toss out that blast, and the one Francisco Lindor had to lead off Tuesday s game, and you get a 2-for-54 showing by Cleveland s lineup in all other at-bats. Now? Sale is on tap to pitch for Boston on Thursday. We ve got a game tomorrow against one of the best in the game, Francona said. We ll try to beat him. We ll try to find a way to beat him, because it will be hard. Sometimes you don t have everybody. That doesn t mean you can t win. It just can be a little more challenging. Rather than back down, you just keep fighting. HOME: While former Indians 1 pick Drew Pomeranz was slicing his way through Cleveland s injury-riddled order on Wednesday fired this hot take over to my Twitter mentions: They will get shut out by palmeranz..i was always against trading him for a damaged Jimenez..now he making the indians pay. First off, just to make sure I wasn t wrong all these years, I did a search for palmeranz in the baseball-reference.com database. It shot out this: Found 0 hits that match your search. OK, good. His name is still Pomeranz. Beyond that, it s hard to look back at that trade as a loss for the Indians. Was Ubaldo Jimenez the ace Cleveland hoped he would be? Certainly not. But, his strong second half in 2013 helped the Indians clinch a spot in the Wild Card Game. Jimenez then turned that strong stretch into a four-year deal with the Orioles. That Baltimore signing secured a compensation Draft pick for the Indians, who took pitching prospect Justus Sheffield with that selection. Sheffield, of course, was a key piece to the prospect package that was shipped to the Yankees in order to reel in Miller. And the players the Indians gave up? Alex White and Joe Gardner are both out of affiliated baseball and are playing Indy ball. Matt McBride has bounced between a couple organizations and is now 32 years old and at Triple-A Nashville. As for Pomeranz, he s with his fourth team since the Indians dealt him away. Pomeranz was on top of his game on Wednesday, showing off that curve that always had so much promise. Over his past 13 starts, the lefty has gone 7 0 with a 2.14 ERA. If he s making the Indians pay, it sure took a while. Aug. 23: Tito s pregame minutiae by Jordan Bastian Update on Jason Kipnis (10-day DL, right hamstring): He got scanned this morning and it showed that he did re-aggravate that. Now, is it scar tissue? That s a little hard to tell. So, we kind of talked with Kip and rather than maybe try to milk it for three or four days, I think we felt like, let s get him healthy. For however long we play, let s give him a chance to be healthy. And I think he agreed with it. So, there s really no timetable. It s going to be on how he feels. If it truly is scar tissue, he ll be quicker than probably normal, but like I said, they truly don t know. His strength is pretty good, so we ll see how it goes. Asked if Kipnis and/or Andrew Miller were activated from their first DL stints too soon, given recent setbacks: I don t think so. We try to [wait until] when guys say they re ready and the medical people say they re ready. I know, shoot, I made Kip play one more [rehab] game than he really wanted to. He was mad at me that night. I think you try to use your best information and it s certainly not perfect. We know that. And guys do get hurt, and when they get hurt, we do question ourselves I think as we should. But, I don t think we would ve done anything different. Like Andrew today. He says he feels really good. Even though he had that setback in the game, he s way ahead of where he was a couple weeks ago. And he saw [Dr. Richard Parker, the Cavs head physician] today, and the medical people will put out more tomorrow, kind of more detailed. But, I think the good news from Dr. Parker was he s real confident that Andrew s going to pitch and help us, which is good news. We just wanted to see if we could do anything more aggressive along those lines. So, we ll have some more. I think the medical people will put something out tomorrow. Does Francona ever laugh while feeling like, What else could happen? No. Never. I mean, maybe laugh, because we try not to take ourselves too serious. I think we take what we do real serious, but not ourselves, hopefully. But never. And the reason is it s not productive. There s no team on the other side that s going to feel sorry for us. We talk about it all the time. There s times during a season where winning is harder than others, and there s times where maybe you ve got to keep your head above water. That s why we always fall back on, let s try to win tonight. We have Corey Kluber pitching. We re facing a really good team. But, we feel like we have a good chance to win. So then, we ll move on after that.

6 On the defense that Gio Urshela, Jose Ramirez and Erik Gonzalez can offer while Kipnis is sidelined: It s really helped us. I think when you see like, somebody was asking me the other day about our pitching really picking up and they have but I don t think it s always just one thing. I think our infield defense has been really good, to the point where at times, spectacular. G has made some plays that are highlight-reel plays. The fact that Jose can go back and forth, that has allowed us to maybe do some things, whether it s pinch-hitting, or things where some of the lack of offense doesn t hurt us as much as it may look. At least that s the idea. Update on Carlos Santana (back tightness): He s doing better, to the point where he might be available tonight off the bench and I think he thinks he can play tomorrow. So, he s doing better. And then you know, it s hard to lose guys even for a couple of days, but in the grand scheme of things, he s played so much. That s why I m not really trying to like push him to be available, because I think if he can get a couple of days down it can help him. Besides the fact that you don t want him walking around with a back that is killing him, but a couple of days rest can really maybe help energize him, because he s played a bunch. I mean, I know before I got here he played, but he plays. He posts every day. It s really pretty amazing. Update on Lonnie Chisenhall (10-day DL, right calf): Lonnie is going to join us Friday and work out with us, then potentially go back and play on Sunday in a [rehab] game. I told him, Why don t we get you back here and just revisit, because he s had quite a week. So, we ll sit down and talk and see what we think he needs and what he thinks he needs. I think he felt like he was in a pretty good place. Update on Michael Brantley (10-day DL, right ankle): Same thing. He s doing baseball activities, but he s just not ready to resume running. It s just got to heal. I know he s wanting if wanting to is going to help, you know but you ve just got to wait until it heals. I know he s biting it, frustrated and is wanting to play, but we ve got to let that thing heal. Surprised Francona didn t bring notes in with so many guys hurt: I practiced for a minute before I came in. How is Francona feeling? I feel like a hundred dollars. All green and wrinkly. Mud Hens 8, Clippers 3 Merryweather ripped early in loss The Toledo Mud Hens raked Clippers starter Julian Merryweather for eight runs and 12 hits in four innings and rolled to an 8-3 victory on Wednesday night before 7,018 at Fifth Third Field. Bryan Holaday hit a three-run homer to left-center to power a four-run first inning for the Mud Hens, who have won three straight against Columbus. Three singles by Toledo to open the fourth brought in one run, and Jeimer Candelario and Tyler Collins drove in runs with doubles to make it 8-0 and finish Merryweather (3-5). Clippers relievers Craig Breslow, Josh Martin and Jeff Johnson held the Mud Hens to one hit over the remaining four innings, but the damage was done. Merryweather struck out seven and walked one. Toledo starter Myles Jaye (3-6) blanked the Clippers through six innings, allowing six hits with three strikeouts and four walks. Columbus struck for three runs in the seventh off reliever Kyle Ryan. Tyler Naquin had a two-out single and Richie Shaffer walked before Erik Kratz connected on his 13th homer of the season, a three-run shot to center. The Clippers have dropped six of their past nine games. No timetable for return as Indians' Jason Kipnis lands on DL again Associated Press CLEVELAND -- Indians second baseman Jason Kipnis is out indefinitely after being placed on the disabled list again with a strained right hamstring. Kipnis returned recently after missing a month, but he was removed from Tuesday night's game against Boston. He grounded out in the first inning and was replaced by a pinch hitter in the third. Kipnis underwent an MRI, which showed he aggravated the injury. "There's really no timetable [for his return]," Indians manager Terry Francona said. "It's going to be on how he feels. Rather than try to milk it for three or four days, we felt like, let's get him healthy."

7 An MRI on Wednesday showed Jason Kipnis aggravated a hamstring injury on Tuesday. He's been placed back on the disabled list and there's no timetable for his return. Elsa/Getty Images Kipnis joins a list of injured Indians players that seems to grow by the day. Pitchers Andrew Miller (right knee tendinitis) and Danny Salazar (sore right elbow) were placed on the 10-day DL on Tuesday. Miller was on the DL with the knee injury from Aug and made only two appearances before being sidelined again. He was removed Monday after facing two batters. Outfielders Michael Brantley (sprained right ankle) and Lonnie Chisenhall (strained right calf) and pitcher Josh Tomlin (strained left hamstring) have been sidelined for several weeks. Although Kipnis and Miller are back on the DL with the same injuries that sidelined them earlier, Francona said he doesn't think either player returned too quickly. "When guys say they're ready and the medical people say they're ready, you try to use your best information," Francona said. "It's certainly not perfect. We know that. Guys do get hurt, and when they get hurt we do question ourselves, but I don't think we would have done anything different." Miller was examined by Dr. Richard Parker, the head physician of the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday. The Indians have reached out to the Cavaliers to see if there is something more they can do with a condition more common in NBA players. "The good news from Dr. Parker was, he's confident that Andrew will pitch and help us," Francona said. Kipnis is batting.228 with 11 home runs and 30 RBIs. He was on the DL from July 9 to Aug. 6 when he first injured the hamstring. Infielder Erik Gonzalez was recalled from Triple-A Columbus. The latest on a new DL stint for Jason Kipnis and the rest of the Indians' walking wounded T.J. Zuppe CLEVELAND Indians manager Terry Francona didn t use note cards while sifting through injury updates on several players. But no one would have blamed him if he had. Instead, he sat in front of reporters Wednesday afternoon and fired off the information like he had just memorized flash cards before a big midterm. I practiced for a minute before I came in, Francona said. It might feel like it sometimes, but this wasn't Human Anatomy 101. Still, these days, pregame media sessions with the manager are nearly all geared toward getting the latest on the Tribe's list of walking wounded. On Wednesday, that group grew to include second baseman Jason Kipnis again. Kipnis was placed back on the 10-day disabled list with a strain of his right hamstring, an injury similar to the one that caused him to miss time from July 9-August 5. This is his third stint on the disabled list this season. He got scanned this morning, Francona said. It showed that he did re-aggravate that [hamstring]. Now, is it scar tissue? That's a little hard to tell. So, we kind of talked with Kip and rather than maybe try to milk it for three or four days, I think we felt like, let's get him healthy. For however long we play, let's give him a chance to be healthy. And I think he agreed with it. So, there's really no timetable. It's going to be on how he feels. If it truly is scar tissue, he'll be quicker than probably normal, but like I said, they truly don't know. His strength is pretty good, so we'll see how it goes. With players like Kipnis and Andrew Miller (patellar tendonitis) going back on the DL shortly after their activation, it would be extremely easy to wonder if they were rushed back from injury. That's fair. We don't get to chat with the team doctors and medical staff, so we can only pass along the information provided by the club unless we learn otherwise. Francona was asked if he felt that was a possibility. I don't think so, he said. We try to [wait until] when guys say they're ready and the medical people say they're ready. I know, shoot, I made Kip play one more [rehab] game than he really wanted to. He was mad at me that night. I think you try to use your best information and it's certainly not perfect. We know that. And guys do get hurt, and when they get hurt, we do question ourselves I think, as we should. But, I don't think we would've done anything different. Of course, Francona has experienced his own medical scares this year. He was asked how he s holding up through all of the club s injuries. I feel like a hundred dollars, Francona said. All green and wrinkly. Here are the other updates Francona provided before the matchup Wednesday against the Red Sox. And yes, before you ask, this will be on the final exam. On Miller: He says he feels really good. Even though he had that setback in the game, he's way ahead of where he was a couple weeks ago. And he saw (Cavaliers team doctor) Dr. Parker today, and the medical people will put out more tomorrow, kind of more detailed. But, I think the good news from Dr. Parker was he's real confident that Andrew's going to pitch and help us, which is good news. We just wanted to see if we could do anything more aggressive along those lines. On Carlos Santana (lower back tightness): He s doing better, to the point where he might be available tonight off the bench. I think he thinks he can play tomorrow. So he s doing better. And then you know, it s hard to lose guys even for a couple of days, but in the grand scheme of things, he s played so much. That s why I m not

8 really trying to like, push him to be available. Because I think if he can get a couple of days down it can help him, besides the fact that you don t want him walking around with a back that is killing him, but a couple of days rest can really maybe help energize him because he s played a bunch. I mean, I know before I got here he played, but he plays. He posts every day. It s really pretty amazing. On Lonnie Chisenhall (calf): Lonnie is going to join us Friday and work out with us, then potentially go back and play on Sunday, a game. I told him, Why don t we get you back here and just revisit, because he s had quite a week. So, we ll sit down and talk and see what we think he needs and what he thinks he needs. I think he felt like he was in a pretty good place. On Michael Brantley (ankle): He s doing baseball activities, but he s just not ready to resume running You ve just got to wait until it heals. I know he s fighting it, frustrated and is wanting to play, but we ve got to let that thing heal. By the numbers: On the absence of key injured players and Jose Ramirez's recent struggles T.J. Zuppe CLEVELAND When you're a sports reporter for a radio station, you generally have a different line of questioning than your writing media counterparts. Why? Well, you're looking for a different kind of response. While some of the writers are seeking small, subtle details to weave into their stories, broadcast media, as in radio and television, are after short, more generalized sound bites that might sound good in a 20/20 update or on the 11 p.m. news. Before my time at The Athletic, I served as a young reporter for two sports radio stations in town, spending time in the Indians' clubhouse as early as I'm familiar with the thought process. The only reason I bring this up now, just after the Tribe's unsightly 6-1 loss to the Red Sox on Wednesday night, is to provide some context for what I'll tell you next. On the Indians' recent 8-3 road trip one that saw them come together in all areas of the game as well as we've witnessed all season a radio reporter from Minneapolis asked manager Terry Francona if he thought like his club was finally putting it all together. This is a different sort of question than we'd ask Francona for a numbers of reasons, mostly because anyone that spends enough time around the game realizes the ebbs and flows of every season are enough to drive the most measured person crazy. But it's also the type of inquiry that could provide a solid 20-second clip. It's so fluid, Francona told the reporter. The minute you say that, somebody beats your ass. He ain't lying. In this case, it's been more than just the general ups and downs of a long season. They haven't just got their *ahem* behinds bruised the past two nights by the Red Sox, but the injuries have expanded to include more than just a tattered ego. The actual bumps and bruises that have slowly taken more away from their lineup and pitching staff on a nightly basis led to two tough nights at Progressive Field. Here are the numbers behind another frustrating evening for the Tribe's thinning group of bats. 4: That's how many regular position players are out of the Indians lineup Jason Kipnis (hamstring), Michael Brantley (ankle), Lonnie Chisenhall (calf) and Carlos Santana (back) and three of whom are on the disabled list. That doesn't even factor in Andrew Miller (knee) and Josh Tomlin (hamstring), who also out. At some point, those absences begin to take their toll. It's a reality. But at the same time, not a single player or coach in the opposite dugout or clubhouse feels sorry for the unfortunate injury trends within the Indians' ranks. They've got their own issues to deal with. And the Twins and Royals? Regardless of the Tribe's banged-up roster, they will keep coming. There's no pause button. I think we ll come through it OK, starter Corey Kluber said. It s not like all these guys are having season-ending injuries or anything like that. That's true. Chisenhall isn't far away. Brantley just got out of his walking boot and has slowly progressed to some baseball activities. Santana might return to the lineup as early as Thursday. But in the meantime, their starting lineup is going to continue looking a little thin. Beyond Jay Bruce in the five spot, players like Giovanny Urshela, Brandon Guyer, Yandy Diaz, Yan Gomes and Bradley Zimmer have been thrust into more important roles. Bruce's hot stretch to begin his Tribe career helped cover for some of the injuries in that regard, but on two nights where they need to string some hits together to create some offense, those timely knocks didn't come. In fact, their bats went through a 2-for-50 stretch between Francisco Lindor's leadoff homer Tuesday night the only hit they'd manage off righty Doug Fister and Edwin Encarnacion's impressive blast to the left-field bleachers in the eighth inning Wednesday. Adding to the displeasure, it was former pitching prospect Drew Pomeranz who helped shut them down Wednesday night. Oh, and if those struggles weren't frustrating enough for the guys holding the frigid sticks, they'll face the favorite for the American League Cy Young Award on Thursday in the finale, Chris Sale. No biggie. We've got a game tomorrow against one of the best in the game, Francona said. We ll try to beat him It will be hard. Sometimes you don t have everybody. That doesn t mean you can t win. It just can be a little more challenging. Rather than back down, we'll just keep fighting. So, before you ask anyone in the Tribe locker room about turning a corner, know that corners aren't the only thing that can turn quickly in baseball. And again, they'll be forced to draw from their extensive experience in dealing with adversity. I think every team goes through injuries throughout the course of the year, Kluber said. We ve gone through them before. I think it s just a matter of, you know, if we go out there and do more than we re capable of, something along those lines, usually it doesn t work out very well. I think if guys just go out there and stay within themselves and if we play the way we know that we can when we re playing good, [we'll be fine]. 68: That's how many days had passed since Jose Ramirez's batting average sat below the.300 mark. His 0-for-3 game, dropping his season average to.298, was the first time he dipped below the.300 line since June 16. Now, before you start yelling at me, I know, batting average isn't everything (in fact, it's one of the most imperfect ways to evaluate a hitter), but it does at least speak to the recent cold stretch Ramirez has been battling.

9 As you can see here, his recent drop in run-creation (wrc+) has a lot to do with a coinciding drop in hard contact rate. We mention wrc+ a lot, so as a refresher, weighted runs created plus is an all-inclusive offensive metric used to show how far above or below average (100) a particular player is. Higher is better. Now, before you start panicking over a slump, keep a few things in mind. One, his overall season production (127 wrc+) is fantastic. Two, he went through a similar skid in May, slashing.183/.227/.282 during a 19-game stretch from May He followed that up with his hottest stretch of the season, hitting.405 with a OPS in the 40 games leading into the All-Star break. He's clearly more than capable of compartmentalizing a poor showing and rebounding with prolific production. Above everything else, no player is immune from the ups and downs of a season. Well, maybe one. And as Francona pointed out, Ramirez's dip in hard contact probably comes from just missing pitches or not picking the ball up as well during the scuffles. Other than [Jose] Altuve, everybody in the league at one point kind of comes back a little bit, Francona said. He just doesn t seem to do that. He s been in a little bit of a rough stretch where sometimes you just don t see that ball as good as others. Like he s taking some pitches I think he thinks are balls and then they re strikes. The pitches he s got to hit, he s kind of peeled off a little bit where instead of rifling it to the gap, it s been a fly ball. The good part about Josey is he s a known a very good hitter. He ll get hot again. He's probably right about that. And it will take more than just one 16-game period of a.133 batting average to change that opinion. Unfortunately for Ramirez, those things just stand out more when the rest of the team struggles offensively. 12: You know who isn't struggling? Corey Kluber. Good gracious, what ankle injury? The Red Sox probably wondered that same thing, getting a front row seat to his dominance Wednesday night. Other than a Mitch Moreland homer in the fifth inning and a late tally in the eighth, Kluber was sharp in his first outing since leaving a start in Kansas City early with a right ankle sprain. He struck out 12 more hitters in a loss, painting another 7 2/3-inning masterpiece with brush strokes of swinging and called strikes. His second-inning whiffs pushed him past the 200-strikeout mark for the fourth consecutive season. The only other active pitchers with the same streak are Sale and Max Scherzer. Kluber is now one of three pitchers in franchise history to strike out 200 hitters in four consecutive years, joining Bob Feller and Sam McDowell on the exclusive list. Oh, and by the way, he also got to 200 faster than any pitcher in team history, beating McDowell's mark by 14 1/3 innings. Yeah, I know, strikeouts are all the rage now. Millennials are killing Applebees, fabric softener and napkins (huh?), while embracing fly-ball hitters and the three true outcomes. But that's still impressive. In regard to his hefty strikeout totals, a reporter asked Kluber what sort of weight those accomplishments carry for him. A big grin grew of Kluber's face. None, he said. The Pariah of Cleveland': Bryan Shaw says Cleveland fans hate me,' but why is he so polarizing? By Zack Meisel CLEVELAND He owns a 3.06 ERA in his five seasons with the Indians. He leads all major leaguers in pitching appearances since the start of Who is he? He s the pariah of Cleveland, Tribe reliever Dan Otero told The Athletic. His name is Bryan Shaw and, odds are, you have paired his name with a string of profanity at some point. What makes the rubber-armed righthander so polarizing? Is it his mere mortal output, relative to bullpen mates Cody Allen and Andrew Miller? Is it his post-precipitation slip-up in the decisive game of the World Series? Is it his passion for playing cribbage with manager Terry Francona every afternoon? I don t understand why, Francona said. He s almost like an offensive lineman where, if they miss the block, it s all they really notice. For five years, he has set the bar (with durability). And more often than not, he goes right through the heart of the order. When he gives up runs, it s like people are up in arms for whatever reason. Without him in that bullpen, it would be very difficult. Understandably, his teammates and manager are going to vouch for him. So, we went directly to the source and asked Shaw what it s like to be Cleveland s primary punching bag. ZM: Is there enough positive feedback to make the social media experience worthwhile for you? BS: What positive feedback? Have you ever been on my Twitter? Google my name. See what pops up. ZM: Then why have a Twitter account? BS: I have it for everything other than baseball reasons: people I follow, stuff I look at, entertainment, all that stuff. I keep it for that. The other stuff, negative stuff, I just block, and everything else, I just ignore it. It doesn t matter to me. ZM: Is it the nature of a reliever's job like an offensive lineman or an umpire, where you re only noticed if you mess up that makes the social media experience so brutal? BS: I don t think it matters if you re a reliever or not. That s just the way it is in baseball. Guys have a bad game, they re going to get yelled at. If they have a good game, hopefully they don t (get yelled at), but they still probably do. That s what Twitter is there for, people to vent about their issues through us. ZM: A few of your bullpen mates mentioned you occasionally share with them some of the negative tweets that stand out. BS: I get stuff all the time. I can go out there and throw a scoreless inning and strike out three and I still get, You suck, or You re terrible, or You need to get traded or quit. yzm: Is that tough to take? BS: Not for me. I read that stuff. Not that I enjoy it, but I like reading that stuff and seeing how people who, in that sense, don t know or understand baseball. It doesn t make sense, the stuff that people say. And I think it s hilarious. ZM: What does your wife say? BS: She hates it. She tells me to get off Twitter. ZM: But you don t plan on doing that.