INDIANS/PIRATES Wednesday update

Cleveland

Right fielder Chisenhall joining Kipnis on DL

GOODYEAR, ARIZ.

The Cleveland Indians will be without two starters to begin the season with right fielder Lonnie Chisenhall joining Jason Kipnis on the disabled list.

Chisenhall hurt his right shoulder when he crashed into an outfield wall last week and will not be ready when the AL champions open the season on Monday in Texas.

Kipnis has been sidelined with right shoulder inflammation and may not join the Indians until later in April.

With Chisenhall out, Indians manager Terry Francona said Abraham Almonte will be on the opening-day roster. Almonte played in 68 games for Cleveland last season before he was suspended 80 games for violating Major League Baseball’s drug program. He was ineligible for the postseason.

“He really is deserving,” Francona said of the switch-hitting Almonte, who entered Wednesday with a .383 average, three homers and 12 RBIs in 18 Cactus League games. “He’s done a terrific job.”

Francona said Chisenhall will travel with the Indians for the series in Texas before playing in a few minor league games. The team is hoping Chisenhall will be ready to return for the April 11 home opener against the Chicago White Sox.

Tyler Naquin, Brandon Guyer, Austin Jackson and Almonte will begin the season as Cleveland’s outfielders. The Indians still don’t know if Michael Brantley will be ready as he continues his comeback from shoulder and biceps surgeries.

Brantley played in his second straight game Wednesday as the Indians ramp up his activities to see how his shoulder responds. Brantley played in only 11 games last season.

Francona said first baseman/designated hitter Carlos Santana has been taking fly balls in the outfield and could play there during interleague games against the Diamondbacks when Cleveland will not have a DH.

Pittsburgh

Polanco to miss Canada trip with shoulder issue

BRADENTON, FLA.

Pirates outfielder Gregory Polanco will not travel with the team when it heads north today for two exhibition games in Montreal.

Polanco, projected to be the Pirates’ starting left fielder, has played in just one spring training game since returning from his run with the Dominican Republic team in the World Baseball Classic, where he hit .579 in five games.

Polanco started experiencing left shoulder discomfort after his spring appearance on March 23 and has not played since. He experienced a similar issue on his throwing shoulder in 2016, and trainer Todd Tomczyk said the team is being especially cautious with his return as a result.

General manager Neal Huntington also said the team has not yet received Polanco’s visa to travel to Canada, which made it an easy decision to keep him behind.

“We feel that we are better off controlling his environment,” Huntington said. “In his case, we were leaning towards that, anyway. But the passport glitch has certainly made that more likely.”

Polanco is expected to hit at the Pirates’ minor league facility on Wednesday, but no timetable for him to return to throwing has been established, putting his readiness for opening day in doubt. The Pirates begin their season April 3 in Boston.

Huntington also announced that the battle for the final rotation spot is down to Tyler Glasnow and Trevor Williams after Steven Brault and Drew Hutchison were optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis.

Hutchison, who came over from the Toronto Blue Jays at the trade deadline in 2016, had a 10.02 ERA in six appearances this spring, including a nine-run outing Tuesday night against the Red Sox. He gave up 21 runs in his last three outings. Huntington said the move was about his entire body of work.

Associated Press