ARLINGTON, Texas: Opening Day is here, and now, thankfully, the games count. The Indians, meanwhile, are still looking at how they’d like to configure the bottom of the lineup.
The first five spots in the batting order are known. The Indians will hit Carlos Santana in the leadoff spot followed by Francisco Lindor, Michael Brantley, Edwin Encarnacion and Jose Ramirez 1-through-5. The 6-through-9 spots in the order remain unknown.
Yan Gomes will bat somewhere in that range. As will rookie Yandy Diaz. With the Texas Rangers throwing right-handed ace Yu Darvish, left-hander Tyler Naquin will be starting. Abraham Almonte is likely to get the start as a switch-hitter to round out the outfield, through Brandon Guyer and Austin Jackson are also options.
Indians manager Terry Francona said he’s changed the ordering of the 6-through-9 spots three times already.
“I’m just not sure,” Francona said. “Yandy is such a good young hitter, but it’s his first time. I want to be fair to him, also. And then you try to look at balance and who’s in their bullpen and things like that. I don’t think it’s going to matter. If we swing it we’re going to be OK. If we don’t, you can probably change it as much as you want. Just trying to think it through.”
He’s back
Michael Brantley is slated to make his long-awaited return to the middle of the Indians’ lineup. As Francona was holding a short team meeting on Sunday, he couldn’t help but look Brantley’s way.
“I hope he is really happy, because he’s earned it,” Francona said of Brantley. “We haven’t even played a game yet, but he’s come so far. That’s why I tried to remind him the other day, ‘Hey, take a second and enjoy this because, man, you deserve it.’ But watching him sit back there, I’m sure he’s filled with a lot of emotions because he’s been through a lot.”
The Indians could slow-play it with Brantley in the early parts of this season. Brantley played in only 11 regular season games last year and eight spring training games this year while rehabbing first from shoulder surgery to repair a torn labrum in November 2015 and then a biceps tenodesis procedure last Aug.
Opening Day
Few days feel as promising as baseball’s Opening Day. Monday is Opening Day for most teams, with a few playing on Sunday. The emotions that go with it? They often never grow old.
“It’s the same feeling every year,” Francona said. “It’s hard to explain to somebody who maybe hasn’t lived through it. It’s part excitement, part nervousness, small part maybe terror. A lot of anxiety. But man, what a feeling. When I said that it doesn’t sound like it, but I wouldn’t trade that for the world. You can do it, this will be my 37th year. It’s the same feelings every year and it never changes. I mean that in a good way.”
Ryan Lewis can be reached at rlewis@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the Indians blog at www.ohio.com/indians. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/RyanLewisABJ.