ST. LOUIS, Mo. — The Indians have re-signed catcher Luke Carlin to a minor league deal with an invitation to big league spring training in February.

Carlin, 30, spent last year with the Class AAA Columbus Clipps, the Indians top farm club. He hit .213 (40-for-188) with eight doubles, five homers, 27 RBI in 63 games. He missed five weeks of the season with a sore right elbow.

He has appeared in 52 big leagues games, including six with the Indians at the end of the 2010 season.

 

 

The
past two seasons have offered Columbus baseball fans vivid April looks at the future possibilities
for the parent Cleveland Indians and Septembers that ended with International League and triple-A
championships for the Clippers.

Come April 5, 2012, another solid triple-A team should assemble in Huntington Park for the
season opener against the Louisville Bats. But a No. 1 organizational prospect such as catcher
Carlos Santana in 2010 and third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall in ’11 doesn’t appear destined to wear a
Clippers uniform with the incoming group.

Here is a look at who might be back and who won’t.

Catcher

Veterans Paul Phillips, 34, and Luke Carlin, 30, were among the three players who spent the
entire season in Columbus. The pitching staff benefited from their presence, but both are free
agents. One could return, probably not both.

Chun Chen, 22, batted .262 in 113 games for double-A Akron with 16 home runs and 70 RBI. His
offense is ahead of his defense, so a veteran teammate to help with his development wouldn’t
hurt.

First base

Beau Mills, 25, resurrected his career after a midseason promotion from Akron. The 2007
first-round draft pick hit .269 with seven home runs and 18 RBI with Columbus.

Nick Johnson, 33, was a huge presence in the clubhouse but was limited on the field by a right
wrist injury for a second straight season. He could retire.

Second base

Jason Kipnis, 24 and the organization’s No. 3 prospect to start this season, is the favorite to
win the job with the Indians in spring training. That could push Cord Phelps, 24, back to the
Clippers.

Shortstop

Luis Valbuena, 25, was the most consistent hitter for the Clippers in ’11. He is out of options,
so his time in Columbus looks over.

Juan Diaz, 22, was called up from Akron to play in the postseason for the Clippers. He is a
6-foot-4 switch-hitter who looked ready for triple-A.

Third base

Chisenhall, 22, will receive a shot to win the everyday job in Cleveland. Jared Goedert, 26,
rebounded from a rib injury and is expected to return to Columbus.

Outfield

Tim Fedroff, 24, was a solid contributor after coming up from Akron and should return.

Thomas Neal, 24, was acquired in a July trade from San Francisco, but injuries kept him off the
field. He is on the Indians’ 40-man roster.

Nick Weglarz, 23, had knee and shoulder injuries that limited him to 41 games at Akron, where he
batted .179. He has a ton to prove in the spring.

Chad Huffman, 26, spent the season with the Clippers and batted .246 with 13 home runs and 58
RBI.

Jerad Head, 28, led the Clippers with 24 home runs and batted .284 with 70 RBI. He is on the
40-man roster now.

Starting pitching

This group could look an awful lot like this season, based on what happens in Cleveland.

International League all-stars Zach McAllister, 23, and Jeanmar Gomez, 23, are candidates for
probably one rotation spot in Cleveland, as is David Huff, 27. Each has at least one option
remaining, as does Corey Kluber, 25.

Scott Barnes (24, right knee) and Hector Rondon (23, right elbow) are coming off injuries but
could be in the mix with Paolo Espino, 24, and Akron’s Austin Adams, 25.

Bullpen

Ditto with the rotation based on Cleveland’s needs. Josh Judy, 25; Zach Putnam, 24; and Nick
Hagadone, 25, could land in either place to begin the year, as could Chen Lee, 24.

Akron closer Cory Burns, 23, and lefty Kelvin De La Cruz, 23, are ready to rise. Jason Rice, 25,
was a late-season pickup

On-field staff

Mike Sarbaugh was the IL manager of the year and a two-time triple-A championship game winner.
He will wonder whether the major leagues will call. Pitching coach Ruben Niebla and hitting coach
Lee May Jr. would like big-league jobs. Two openings exist in Cleveland.

If promotions don’t occur, each would be welcome back in Columbus.

jmassie@dispatch.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Travis Hafner was not at his locker before Wednesday night’s game against Oakland at Progressive Field. In his place, was a large gray and white plastic walking boot.

If you’re into signs, this doesn’t seem like a good one regarding the chances of Pronk returning to the lineup sometime in the season’s final month. Hafner was placed on the disabled list after injuring his right foot trying to leg out a double against Detroit on Aug. 21. There was talk the foot, which has hampered Hafner since late April, would need surgery.

So much for signs and talk.

Hafner and head trainer Lonnie Soloff returned Wednesday from visiting an out-of-state doctor who treats NFL players. The news was good.

“We got some encouraging news,” said manager Manny Acta. “It looks like he’ll be able to join our club and play again this year. There’s no timetable, but that’s encouraging news.”

The Indians acquired Jim Thome in a waiver deal with the Twins on Thursday. He has taken over Hafner’s DH spot. Depending on when Hafner returns, Acta would seem to have a juggling act on his hands.

But he doesn’t see it that way.

“Returning from this kind of injury, Hafner is not going to be able to play every day,” said Acta. “It’s the same situation with Jim. They’ll share [the DH].

“It’s an advantage in September [with expanded rosters]. I’ll be able to pinch run for one of them in the seventh and then I’ll have whoever didn’t play bat in the ninth. You can only do that in September.”

Surgery: Outfielder Michael Brantley underwent surgery on Wednesday to remove his hamate bone from his right hand. Dr. Thomas Graham did the operation at Cleveland Clinic.

Brantley will miss the rest of the season, but should be fine for spring training.

As the Crowe flies: Outfielder Trevor Crowe was promoted to Class AAA Columbus as he rehabs from right shoulder surgery. Crowe has missed the entire season, but it’s possible he could be a September call-up.

Reinforcements: Teams can expand their rosters to 40 players starting Thursday. Don’t look for the Indians to make that kind of cattle call, but they could add a reliever or two in the next several days.

Josh Judy and Nick Hagadone are candidates. Judy was optioned to Columbus on Aug. 23 to make room for Shelley Duncan. Hagadone was optioned on Sunday to make room for Jerad Head. Judy and Hagadone must stay in Columbus at least 10 days before being recalled.

Relievers Zach Putnam and Chen Lee are also possibilities. Most of the position players considered prospects are already with the Indians or on the disabled list.

“I’m not so sure if we’ll call anybody up for Thursday,” said Acta. “It depends how [Wednesday's] game goes. It depends how our bullpen shapes up. We could bring a reliever up.

“There are some arms that are coming up, but there’s no rule that says a guy has to be up here Sept. 1.”

With the Indians scheduled to play two doubleheaders in September, Mitch Talbot might even get a call. But he would have to be put on the 40-man roster.

New role: Third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall is used to playing every day, but he’s found himself in a new role as the Indians try to run down Detroit and Chicago in the AL Central.

Jack Hannahan has reclaimed the third-base job, entering Wednesday’s game hitting .419 (18-for-43) with 10 RBI in August. In his first at-bat, he hit a 432-foot homer to center field.

“They haven’t really spoke to me about what’s going on,” said Chisenhall. “All I know is Jack is raking. He’s raking, he’s in the lineup and he’s playing well.”

Chisenhall has been working on his swing in the batting cage during games. He’s also been used several times as a pinch-hitter.

“I’m trying to learn all I can from this,” he said.

Finally: The Indians will send pitching prospects Austin Adams, T.J. McFarland, Matt Packer and Tyler Sturdevant to the Arizona Fall League in October. They’ll play for the Phoenix Devil Dogs. Mickey Callaway, Class A Kinston’s pitching coach, will be Phoenix’s pitching coach.

On Twitter: @hoynsie

CLEVELAND, Ohio — What was that rare occurrence which alighted upon the Indians’ shoulders Tuesday night?

It had nothing to do with another injury — those have been anything but rare this year. Nor was it another game decided by the thinnest of margins. Like injuries, one-run ballgames have been commonplace.

No, this was about a big inning, home runs and a 6-2 victory over Oakland at Progressive Field. It’s called offense, built with extra-base hits, speed and power. Those are the elements that the Indians have missed since sometime in mid-May.

For one night, with the season at the entrance of its final month, the Indians found it.

Most of the power guys are gone — Travis Hafner, Grady Sizemore and Jason Kipnis are on the disabled list and Matt LaPorta was demoted to Class AAA Columbus before the first pitch. That did not stop Carlos Santana and Jack Hannahan from homering in a four-run sixth inning. The homer was no big deal for Santana, who is at 21 and counting. It was reason for celebration for Hannahan, who hadn’t found the seats since June 8.

The four-run inning was the Indians’ biggest since they scored five in the fourth on Aug. 21 against Detroit. It was the first time they’ve hit two homers in an inning since Aug. 1 against Boston.

Will it last, who knows? But for one game it had to be nice to play and not suffer. The Indians have played 47 one-run games, third most in the AL. That’s a lot of games with the outcome hanging by one pitch, one swing or one catch. Tuesday night, manager Manny Acta could at least keep most of his bullpen arms at rest.

Jeanmar Gomez, activated before the game, gave the Indians six good innings for his first big-league win since last September. He allowed one unearned run on six hits. Gomez (1-2, 4.55) and David Huff, who spent the most of this season at Class AAA Columbus, have started and won the first two games of this series, allowing one unearned run in 12 innings.

It was Gomez’s second start against the A’s this year. He held them to one earned run in 11 1/3 innings.

“No pressure,” said Gomez, of the Indians’ chase of Detroit and Chicago in the AL Central. “I relaxed and pitched like I did at Triple-A. I know this team is in the race. We just clinched at Columbus. That helped me for this game.”

The Indians are 5-4 on this homestand, which began with losing three out of four to a last-place Seattle club. The Indians still trail first-place Detroit by 5 1/2 games with 30 to play.

While Gomez’s time at Columbus prepared him for the stretch run in Cleveland, Kosuke Fukudome’s 87 games with the Cubs did little but hurt his batting average. Since the Indians acquired him on July 27, he has been a different ballplayer.

He gave the Indians a 2-0 lead with a third-inning double off Trevor Cahill (9-13, 4.26). Lou Marson and Ezequiel Carrera set the table with infield hits. Fukudome is hitting .379 (11-for-29) with five doubles and five RBI in his last eight games. He’s hitting .283 (34-for-120) with 10 doubles, one homer and 12 RBI overall since the deal.

“The one definite difference is I’m getting a chance to play,” said Fukudome, through interpreter Hiro Aoyama. “The race here has definitely given me motivation to keep going.”

The Indians do not live by the big inning. They live by quality starts, good relief work and a run here and there. That’s what made the sixth inning unique.

Jim Thome drew a one-out walk off Cahill, 1-8 since June 30. It was the 1,000th walk of Thome’s career with the Indians, a franchise record. Santana cashed it in with a two-run homer to right. When Cahill hit Shelley Duncan with a pitch, he was done for the night.

Fautino De Los Santos relieved and Hannahan greeted him with a line drive that just made it over the right-field wall for a 6-1 lead. Hannahan went 3-for-4 and is hitting .429 (13-for-42) over his last 14 games.

“Jack has given us some balance in the bottom of the order,” said manager Manny Acta. “It’s the same thing Fukudome gave us [before he moved up in the order].”

On Twitter: @hoynsie

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