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News » Cleveland Indians Notes, Quotes 2009-04-02


Cleveland Indians Notes, Quotes 2009-04-02


Cleveland Indians Notes, Quotes 2009-04-02
--OF David Dellucci was placed on the 15-day disabled list due to a left calf strain. To fill in for him, the Indians recalled OF Trevor Crowe from Class AAA Columbus, where he had been optioned two days earlier.

--LHP Zach Jackson earned the Indians' final bullpen spot, manager Eric Wedge announced, adding that RHP Vinnie Chulk and RHP Matt Herges would be assigned to Class AAA Columbus. A former starter, Jackson will be Cleveland's long reliever.

--LHP Scott Lewis has won the one open spot in the starting rotation. Lewis beat out LHP Aaron Laffey, LHP Jeremy Sowers, LHP Zach Jackson and LHP David Huff and will be in the No. 4 spot.

At the time the decision was made, he had a 3.52 ERA, having allowed six runs on 14 hits in 15 1/3 innings with a team-high 12 strikeouts and six walks.

"He's had a great camp and been very consistent," manager Eric Wedge said. "He's been as consistent as any pitcher in camp. He picked right up from the way he pitched last year.

"He won the job. We still feel good about the other guys, but he won the job."

Lewis is coming off a breakout September last year when he went 4-0 with a 2.63 ERA in four starts for the Tribe.

"I'm pretty excited," Lewis said. "I thought I made a pretty good case for myself. The other guys I was up against have more experience than me, so it feels pretty good to get the job. I've always been confident I could pitch at this level. But I also realize I still have a lot of work to do and a lot to learn."

--RHP Anthony Reyes had a solid training camp, but he will open the season as the club's No. 5 starter, not No. 4, as was expected.

After naming LHP Scott Lewis the winner of the one open spot in the starting rotation, manager Eric Wedge said Lewis will open as the No. 4 starter, with Reyes at No. 5.

"We feel (having Lewis No. 4 and Reyes No. 5) sets up better for us," said Wedge, who admitted one reason for the switch is that with Lewis in the fourth spot the Indians would not have the two lefties in the rotation, Cliff Lee and Lewis, pitching back-to-back. But Reyes' history of elbow trouble was clearly another factor. He was shut down the last month of last season because of a sore elbow but has pitched pain free this spring.

The Indians will open the season with a rotation of LHP Cliff Lee, RHP Fausto Carmona, RHP Carl Pavano, Lewis and Reyes.

--RHP Carl Pavano struggled through his first five starts of the spring before finally having his first good outing in his sixth start, vs. San Diego. Pavano, who missed most of the last four years while with the Yankees because of injuries, has been healthy this spring, just not very effective.

"I'm cognizant of the fact that I haven't been out there in awhile," he said. "You have to be patient that things will come back. You want it to be now, now, now, but you've got to build off every outing."

In his start against the Padres, Pavano pitched six innings, allowing two runs on seven hits with two strikeouts and no walks.

"Up until this start I was getting frustrated," Pavano said. "I tend to want things to come quicker than they do.

"It's unacceptable for me to tell myself that I haven't pitched in a long time. I don't want to use that as a crutch. But today I finally can walk away with quite a few positives that I couldn't take away from my last few starts."

--DH Travis Hafner had still not hit a home run with a week left in spring training. Hafner missed most of last season because of a right shoulder injury that required offseason surgery.

Although he Hafner hasn't shown much power thus far, general manager Mark Shapiro said he isn't concerned.

"We feel the only thing not there is his timing, and when he gets that down, he will hit with authority," Shapiro said.

BY THE NUMBERS: 0 -- Number of home runs DH Travis Hafner hit in his first 40 at-bats of spring training.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "He came to camp in great shape and has made himself an option in the outfield for us, something I didn't think was possible." -- General manager Mark Shapiro, on 1B Ryan Garko, who has been getting playing time in the outfield during spring training as the Indians test his flexibility.


Author:Fox Sports
Author's Website:http://www.foxsports.com
Added: April 2, 2009

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