3/24 Spring Training Recap & Roster Update

There was quite a bit of Indians news that came out today prior to an eventful and exciting night game for the Tribe. To begin, four players were told today that they will not make the 25 man roster, but will remain in Major League camp for the time being to help cover some innings. These players are pitchers Bruce Chen, Shaun Marcum, Scott Downs and Ryan Rohlinger. Each of these players has significant Major League experience, but only Chen seemed to have a legitimate shot at making the team out of Spring Training. With at least three left handed relievers ahead of him on the depth chart, however, the Indians have decided to go with youth over experience.

Injury Update

In addition to the non-cuts, three players currently out with injuries had updates. Nick Swisher will finally start playing in games, for now of the minor league variety. The reasoning here is that he will be able to bat as many times as necessary, have a pinch runner each time up and not have fans boo when he doesn’t run out his hits. While this is a very small move, it is a step in the right direction to getting the Tribe’s DH back onto a Major League playing field.

Another player expected to participate in the minor league game tomorrow is Jason Kipnis, who strained his back last Thursday. He said today that he is without pain and should be able to play at a complete level tomorrow. Hopefully, he will be back in the Major League lineup by the end of the week, much to the chagrin of the legions of Michael Martinez fans.

The player the furthest along of the recent injuries is David Murphy, who twisted his ankle early in the game last Thursday in Peoria. He hasn’t played since, but is expected to get back into game action tomorrow.

To Be the Best You Have to Beat the Best

Wooooooooo!!! The World Champion San Francisco Giants were in Goodyear tonight in front of a large crowd (7,436 fans) and were not given a warm welcome. The Indians got started early with Yan Gomes and Carlos Santana reaching base with two outs in the first before Brandon Moss hit a three run home run off Ryan Vogelsong that careened off the top of the pavilion in right field. While this would normally have been the play of the game, someone topped Moss’ shot in both height and distance.

Jerry Sands will most likely not make the Major League roster, but unlike the four listed initially, he is technically still in the running. He made the biggest argument for inclusion so far this Spring when he hit a third inning, two run home run off Vogelsong that went over the 30 foot batter’s eye in centerfield. In six years of watching almost every single game at Goodyear Ballpark, I personally have never heard of or seen a more prodigious home run. In fact, the previous best home run hit over the 410 foot mark on the wall in center was a shot by Travis Hafner in 2010 that went about half way up the wall. This shot by Sands was never in doubt as it sailed far over the wall. Total distance will likely be impossible to measure, but the ball did end up outside of the stadium into the desert. There is a poor video available of the shot available by clicking this link, but the ball isn’t in view for most of the clip.

With Swisher still out, Sands has been getting plenty of playing time and is currently batting .387/.457/.516 in 31 at bats. The rest of the offense contributed as well including three more runs in the seventh inning thanks to Destin Hood, Adam Moore and Carlos Santana.

On the mound, T.J. House pitched well early on, but gave up four runs (all earned) in the third inning. He pitched five innings total and didn’t give up any other damage, striking out three and walking two. After him, Bryan Price pitched two decent scoreless innings, striking out two and allowing two hits. Another competitor for the final bullpen spot (that will now not be taken by Chen), Austin Adams struck out three in the ninth, but allowed two big singles before the final out, raising the final score to 9-5.

The Indians have now won four Spring games in a row to bring their overall record to 10-11, placing them right in the middle of the Cactus League. They will get a rematch against the champs again, this time in Scottsdale a week from Wednesday.