INDIANS From deli worker to fifth spot in rotation

Jason Stanford won a four-man battle.
WINTER HAVEN, Fla. (AP) -- Jason Stanford doesn't have anything to worry about -- at least until his first start.
Stanford was named Cleveland's No. 5 starter Tuesday, beating out Chad Durbin for the final spot and rounding out a rotation that will include three left-handers.
"It was a dream just to get the opportunity, and now it's the real deal," he said.
Stanford, 27, began the spring in a battle with four other pitchers for the two open spots at the back end of Cleveland's starting staff behind C.C. Sabathia, Jason Davis and Cliff Lee.
Pieces fit together
After veteran Jeff D'Amico was given the No. 4 job, Jake Westbrook got sent to the bullpen and Jason Bere was told he would begin the year at Triple-A Buffalo, it came down to either Durbin or Stanford for the fifth spot.
Indians manager Eric Wedge called Stanford into his office Tuesday morning to tell him he had won it, ending 48 anxiety-filled hours for an undrafted free agent who was working in a Buffalo, N.Y., deli making sandwiches not long ago.
Stanford pitched well in his final audition for the job, allowing one run and four hits in five innings on Monday night against the Houston Astros.
Still, he didn't know if it was good enough and went to bed worrying about his chances.
"I didn't feel like I had nailed it down until they told me this morning," he said.
Stanford was bracing for bad news when he walked into Wedge's office and saw pitching coach Carl Willis.
"They didn't have any smiles, and I was like, 'Oh, great,' " he said.
"Just to be on the opening day roster is an honor, and it's even more of an honor to be one of the starting five."
To the bullpen
Durbin, who started last season with the Mahoning Valley Scrappers, closed out a strong spring by pitching four solid innings Tuesday in Cleveland's 7-2 win over the New York Mets. He'll begin the season in the bullpen, pitching in long relief.
And the 26-year-old isn't complaining. After all, the right-hander had "Tommy John" elbow surgery a little more than 18 months ago and has pitched his way back on to an opening day roster.
"I'm not disappointed at all," Durbin said. "I'm going to get to pitch, and that's all I ever wanted."
Ultimately, Durbin would like to start. But for now, he's happy to be contributing any way he can.
"This is another angle for me to learn about baseball and be a student," he said.
"The surgery kind of puts things in a new perspective. I'm looking at this as a springboard to other things."