Cleveland Sports Forum

Indians confident in absorbing rotation's loss

Depth eases uncertainty following Hernandez's legal issues

By Jordan Bastian / MLB.com | 02/22/12 5:42 PM EST

GOODYEAR, Ariz. --

Ubaldo Jimenez understands the pressure felt by young baseball players in his native Dominican Republic. That is because he has been in their shoes and he has experienced the same temptation to lie about his age.

A few years shaved off a birth certificate could mean a lot more money in the bank account. In a country where many families fight poverty and view baseball as a gateway to a better future, choosing to use a false name or age is a path that many young Dominican players are enticed to pursue.

"I'm not going to lie to you," Jimenez said. "I had people that told me, 'If you get a couple years younger, they're going to give you more money.' That's something that you think about when you're that age."

On Wednesday, when Indians pitchers and catchers held their first official workout at the team's player development complex, there was one person noticeably missing. Roberto Hernandez -- the pitcher known as Fausto Carmona for more than a decade -- remains in the Dominican Republic dealing with legal and visa troubles.

Hernandez was arrested on Jan. 19 outside the United States consulate in Santo Domingo, D.R., while attempting to renew his visa so he could join the Indians for Spring Training. The pitcher was charged with using a false identity and it was revealed that he was 31 years old -- three years older than Cleveland believed.

"Shock," Indians starter Josh Tomlin said of his first reaction to the news. "It was. I was shocked."

It is a situation that created a hole within the starting staff, which projects to include Justin Masterson, Derek Lowe, Tomlin and Jimenez, along with the winner of this spring's fifth-starter competition. Arms in the mix for that job include Kevin Slowey, Jeanmar Gomez, David Huff and Zach McAllister.

Cleveland feels its rotation is better equipped this year to absorb setbacks.

That belief is being put to the test well before Opening Day.

"Guys who will help fill that role are more prepared with some big league experience," Masterson said. "We've got Lowe in there now. I think we have a solid starting staff. We have four guys who are locked in, in my opinion. And then you have three, four or five guys who have been in that fifth starting role and who will fight and be prepared.

"We're definitely in a good spot. We'd definitely like to have Rob here, but you make due."

Masterson then cracked a smile.

"I imagine he'll be here at some point in time," added the pitcher. "And the big goof will fit in just as well as before -- after he gets worn out tremendously by every single person."

That type of support for Hernandez, who has gone 53-66 with a 4.59 ERA in six seasons with the Indians, can be found in all corners of the clubhouse.

"Regardless of his name," said Tomlin, "we support him as a person no matter what. He's a great guy. We're behind him 100 percent and we hope he gets back."

"We're not going to turn our back on him," Indians manager Manny Acta said.

Acta -- also a native of the Dominican Republic -- has kept in contact with Hernandez throughout the ordeal. Jimenez, who worked out with the pitcher for a few weeks this offseason, said he has also been in touch with Hernandez since news broke that the pitcher had been using a false identity.

It was reported that the mother of the real Fausto Carmona went on a radio show in the D.R. and outed the Indians pitcher after he refused to increase the payments for using the name. Hernandez had a $7 million club option picked up by the Tribe in late October and the Carmona family allegedly wanted more money.

Those developements then led to Hernandez's arrest.

"He was embarrassed," Jimenez said. "That's what he told me. He said, 'I feel so embarrassed right now when I have to look everybody in the face.' But I told him you have to get your head up. It's something where he's not the only one who has done it. And he did it for a good reason. It's not a good thing to do, but what can you do?"

One of the reasons that players in the Dominican Republic sometimes go down that road is the belief that, once they are older than 17 or 18 years old, scouts will move on to younger players. Hernandez was 20 when he signed with the Indians in 2000, but the team believed he was only 17 at the time.

Even at 17 years old, when Jimenez signed with the Rockies, he had people telling him he should say he was younger, too. The pitcher said he believes the only thing that stopped him from lying about his age was that his parents insisted that he finish high school before signing a professional contract.

"Thank God I had really good parents," Jimenez said. "They always told me -- my mom and my dad -- that you have to finish high school first. I couldn't sign until I finished high school. That's something that they made me do. That's probably why I didn't do it."

Earlier this month, Hernandez started out on a campaign to help educate young players in his home country about the consequences of lying about their name or age. He is currently on Major League Baseball's restricted list and he could face a suspension from the league upon returning to the Indians.

While on the restricted list, Hernandez will not receive any salary payments from the Indians. There is also no certainty about when or if he will be able to pitch in the big leagues again.

In the meantime, Hernandez has been speaking to kids who have yet to enter the many baseball academies set up in the D.R. by Major League teams. He has also been handing out T-shirts that read "En la Verdad esta el Triunfo" in Spanish on the front.

In Truth, there is Triumph.

"He's doing a good thing," Acta said. "He's preaching to the right crowd, too. ... When you go to the academies, it could be a little too late by then. He's going to the kids that are probably in a position where they could be taken advantage of or taking the wrong steps.

"It's nice for him to assume the responsbility and do that community service, if you want to call it that."

An Associated Press report on Wednesday quoted Hernandez as saying he is hoping to receive a judicial pardon for his crimes. It seems doubtful that Hernandez's situation would be resolved early in Spring Training, but the pitcher hopes to rejoin the team this season.

"I'm doing all that is necessary so that when the pardon is granted, I won't have to wait long to play again," Hernandez told the AP. "I know I should have come clean before, but I was scared to reveal what happened to me. That's why I waited until it became public."

Masterson, who has taken part in mission trips to the Dominican Republic in recent offseasons, was also happy to hear about the steps Hernandez is taking in trying to help kids who might be in a similar situation.

"He's an awesome guy," Masterson said. "You can't put that past him. What he did maybe when he was 17, 18, 19, 20 -- OK. But as far as the individual goes, he's a good person and he loves taking care of people. It doesn't surprise me that he's doing something like that, but it is good to see.

"Hey, he knows he made a mistake."

And the more Masterson has thought about it, the more he understands why Hernandez chose to use a fake identity.

"If you look at some of the digs, there are some good things down there," Masterson said. "But it's also full of poverty. Why wouldn't you take a chance of being 17 for three years in order to get out of that when there's high-stakes money involved? Even the money you can make as a Minor Leaguer would help your family.

"And when you get over here, the way Dominican players take care of each other, it's pretty impressive. You have big league guys helping out as many guys as they can because of that factor. For me, I wasn't upset [when I heard the news about Hernandez].

"It's not something you expected, but for me, having been down there a lot, I understand where it comes from. That doesn't necessarily make it right. But in that situation, would I probably have wanted to do the same thing? Absolutely.

"Does it make it right? No, but that's kind of the way I felt about it."

A year ago, when Hernandez served as the Indians' Opening Day starter, losing him would have been a crushing blow at the start of the season. Now, with the emergence of Masterson and Tomlin, plus the additions of Jimenez and Lowe, Cleveland feels it is in a better position to withstand a loss within the rotation.

The reason for that confidence is also due to the depth behind the first four starters. As things stand right now, the Triple-A Columbus rotation could feature five arms with varying degrees of Major League experience.

"Before we even got [Lowe], we felt pretty good about Gomez, Huff and McAllister," Acta said. "I think that it's a credit to our farm system that we have gone from, three Spring Trainings ago, trying to fill out three spots to coming in and having five guys fighting for one back-end-of-the-rotation spot."

The pitchers seem to agree.

"You definitely don't want to lose a guy like that," Tomlin said, "especially a guy like him, by no means. He's a great person to have around the clubhouse, a great person to have on the staff. But, I think we saw a lot of upside to the guys that we have in the rotation this year, and guys that we have for depth."

For now, there is no locker reserved for Hernandez at the Tribe's spring complex. Truth be told, though, there is not an empty stall to be had at the moment given the high volume of players in camp with the club this preseason.

Acta said Hernandez is working out in the Dominican Republic -- the pitcher is not allowed to leave the country right now -- and the manager is confident that the sinkerballer will do what it takes to be ready whenever he is cleared to return to the United States.

That said, there is no known timeline for his return.

"Now, we're just wondering when are we going to see Rob?" Masterson said with a grin. "Are we going to have a really big birthday party for him? Are we going to have three cakes because he got three years older in one day?"

All kidding aside, the Indians appear more than willing to welcome Hernandez back with open arms.

And his teammates are understanding about the pitcher's past mistakes.

"You have to find a way to get out of poverty," Jimenez said. "And he lives in the country. He lives on a farm. When a guy comes with an offer, you're probably not going to say no, because you're trying to help your family.

"Fausto is not the first one and he's not going to be the last one."

Ubaldo Cleveland Indians relief pitchers Rafael Perez, left and Frank Herrman, right, stretch out with the rubber bands before throwing. Behind is manager Manny Acta. Cleveland Indians pitchers Josh Tomlin (middle) and David Huff (back) watch as Derek Lowe throws a pitch during fielding practice. (Chuck Crow/The Plain Dealer) Guzman

Cleveland Indians catcher Lou Marson gets ready to make a throw during catching drills with coach Chris Tremie in foreground. Cleveland Indians relief pitcher Tony Sipp gloves a come-backer during fielding drills.

Garland cost too much? Or still hurt? Not sure I understand why we didn't sign him. But I like Gomez as our 5th starter so not too upset. Not so sure I like Lowe as our 4th starter; not certain all he needs to do is work on pitch selection; getting a lot younger and eliminating many 1000 of the innings he has pitched would do him much more good.

Projected lineup above had Kipnis hitting 7th. He should up much higher: he can get on base and he can run. No good reason for Sizemore to be leadoff other than nostalgia. He should start toward the lower part of the order and return to the top if he can reestablish his on-base skills. His OBA in 2010 and 2011 was about .280, not remotely what a leadoff hitter must do.

I have to agree with you Civ. Kipnis up and Sizemore down.

I just finished reading the article on Santana about his inability to use the hole field as a left handed hitter. As the article states, Santana does use the whole field as a right handed hitter.

I've always posted my thoughts on players being able to use the whole field. It's a major plus for the players that have that knack. It causes or forces the defense to open up much more rather than stack one side or cheat to one side. Every team in the league had to know Sizemore was one-dimensional as a hitter and teams played him that way.

Sizemore always put up pretty decent power numbers before his injury but had miserable opposite field numbers and an extraordinarily high number of strikeouts. I don't think Sizemore was ever the best player he could have been. I think his obsession with power numbers always hindered his ability to be a great all-around offensive threat. He had speed but never made the best of it.

If Sizemore is going to leadoff, in my opinion, he'll have to change his game plan. It might be considered a minor miracle if he does. He's expressed publicly on several occasions that the big swing got him to the major leagues and he wasn't about to alter his stance on the subject. Well! If the Indians want Sizemore to be that leadoff batter, he best start thinking about getting on base more often, striking out less, and become that gap to gap hitter Manny Acta would like to see I'm sure.

Sizemore has to step it up and get on base more, If he can't do that, and Kipnis indicates that he can, I would make the switch sooner than later.

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Travis looks good. Let's hope he feels good and is up to the task.

Ubaldo ready to reclaim his ace status

By Jordan Bastian / MLB.com | 02/23/12 6:36 PM EST

GOODYEAR, Ariz. --

There is no undoing the trade that brought Ubaldo Jimenez to Cleveland last summer. There is also no way of forgetting about the underwhelming performance the pitcher turned in down the stretch for the Indians.

What the Indians can offer now is hope that things will be different -- much different -- in the season ahead.

"I'm excited," Indians pitching coach Scott Radinsky said on Thursday. "I think we're going to see a different guy than what we saw when we got him last year."

The Tribe tossed a considerable amount of its chips last July with that in mind. Cleveland believes it can realistically contend for the American League Central crown, and it could be argued that Jimenez holds the master key to unlock such dreams.

Jimenez wants to prove his new employers right, and he enters this Spring Training in a much better position health-wise than a year ago. The pitcher spent this past offseason building up strength in his legs to help increase the stamina needed to maintain consistent mechanics with his unique delivery.

"That's the hope," Jimenez said with a smile. "I feel good right now."
That is great news for the Indians, considering that Jimenez is in the mix to start on Opening Day, along with sinkerballer Justin Masterson. Behind them, the Tribe has a rotation that will feature Josh Tomlin and Derek Lowe, as well as the winner of the fifth-starter competition this spring.

That last spot was vacated when news broke in January that Roberto Hernandez (formerly Fausto Carmona) was arrested on charges of using a false identity. It is not clear how long it might be before Hernandez rejoins Cleveland. Jimenez was important before. His success almost seems essential to the Indians now.

Jimenez insists that he is not feeling any heightened pressure.

"No, no, no," Jimenez said. "I don't even think about the trade anymore."

It was a trade that could go down as a turning point in Indians franchise history.

On July 31, Cleveland pulled off a stunning deal to acquire Jimenez from Colorado, sending prized pitching prospects Drew Pomeranz and Alex White to the Rockies as part of a larger four-player package. Pomeranz and White were considered cornerstones for the Tribe's future.

Jimenez signaled a distinct change in course.

The Indians had been on the giving end of two blockbuster deals that shipped Cy Young Award winners CC Sabathia and Cliff Lee out of town in recent years. This time around, Cleveland was on the receiving end, gaining a pitcher who won 19 games and was a National League Cy Young contender in 2010 for the Rockies.

Given that Jimenez is under club control through 2013, the trade to add his arm to the Indians' staff seemed to indicate that Cleveland firmly believes this is a two-year window of opportunity. Jimenez endured a shaky first stint in a Tribe uniform, but everyone in camp with the Indians is convinced that '12 will be different.

"I think we already know what he can be," Radinsky said. "We've seen that. If he says he's heathy, I'm going with it. I'm just curious to see what happens here. Me, personally, my gut kind of has some expectations. I'm not putting them on him, but he's got a good arm, man.

"This guy can really throw the ball. Just on raw stuff, it's tough for the league to catch up to him. He's got some pretty good stuff."

Over the offseason, Jimenez trained in his native Dominican Republic with Nelson Perez, who is a strength and conditioning coach for the Indians. Perez moved to the D.R. to be closer to Jimenez and catcher Carlos Santana, who teamed with the pitcher for regular workouts.

Jimenez's focus was on building up the strength in his lower half and core. Last season, the Indians noticed that the pitcher's stride and landing spot with his lead leg was sometimes different from pitch to pitch. That small issue created a chain reaction that threw Jimenez's entire delivery out of whack.

"It's not a secret," Indians manager Manny Acta said. "If you're striding short and then long and then short and then long, you're going to scuffle a little bit with your consistency of pounding the strike zone and the release point and all that. That really helps him.

"Whether it's going to be short-, long- or mid-range, you need to be consistent with it. It's just kind of mandatory, for a guy like him that has such an unorthodox delivery with all those moving parts, to be consistent with his stride."

This past winter, Jimenez tackled that problem.

"We were trying to stabilize my lower body," Jimenez explained. "Sometimes I threw a pitch and I'd land on one side, and then the next pitch I landed on the other. We worked really hard on my legs. They're stronger right now. I feel really good."

During Spring Training last year, Jimenez cracked the nail on his right thumb and later developed an infection. On top of that injury, the pitcher suffered a strained left groin. Both issues contributed to a poor start with Colorado and sent him on course for a turbulent season.

Overall, Jimenez went 10-13 with a 4.68 ERA (4-4 with a 5.10 ERA with the Indians) in 32 starts. He logged his fewest innings (188 1/3) since 2007 and had his worst strikeout (180) and hits allowed (186) totals since '08. In the process, Jimenez experienced a drop-off of roughly 3 mph with both his fastball and slider.

Jimenez said the injury woes and mechanical issues played a role.

"It's all related," Jimenez said. "Probably if I didn't hurt my finger and then my leg, I would've been throwing better velocity. I couldn't throw because of that."

There is hope to be found within Jimenez's numbers.

Consider that Jimenez's rate of strikeouts per nine innings has stayed in the 8.2-8.7 range over the past three years. During that same span, he has averaged between 3.5-3.7 walks per nine innings each year.

Beyond that, it is worth noting that Jimenez's fastball -- while not the league-leading average of 96.1 mph like in 2010 -- was still the 10th-fastest heater in baseball last season with an average of 93.5 mph.

"That might not be where he's supposed to be," Radinsky said, "but it's still pretty darn good."

Jimenez noted that he plans on featuring all of his pitches in the coming campaign. Last year, while dealing with the various issues, the starter got away from that approach. That means hitters might see as many as six different pitches throughout the course of a game.

All of that can wait, though.

Right now, Jimenez's focus is on being at full strength by Opening Day.

"One of the first things he said this year was, 'I'm healthy,'" Radinsky said. "That brought a smile to my face."

That smile is based on hope that the Big U will be back to his old self this season.

Tomlin's elbow problems are in the past

By Jordan Bastian / MLB.com | 02/23/12 7:55 PM EST

GOODYEAR, Ariz. --

The Indians believe that Josh Tomlin is in the clear after a scare involving his right elbow last season.

On Thursday, during the second official workout of Spring Training, Tomlin completed a 10-minute bullpen session without any lingering issues. He expected as much after an offseason of rest remedied the elbow soreness that flared up late last season.

"It's completely fine now," Tomlin said. "I've got no restrictions."

"He threw a great bullpen," Radinsky said. "He looked really good and under control. ... He looks good and he feels good. I'm just going off what he says, but from what I saw today, he looks totally normal."

Radinsky was quick to note that the 27-year-old Tomlin, who didn't pitch after Aug. 24 last season, recovered enough to throw a simulated game in late September. Tomlin might have started one of the last few regular-season games, but the team opted against taking any chances.

In the end, Tomlin finished 12-7 with a 4.25 ERA in a promising campaign. He logged 165 1/3 innings and ranked first and seventh, respectively, in the American League in walks per nine innings (1.14) and WHIP (1.08). His WHIP was the lowest by an Indians pitcher in a season since Gaylord Perry (1.02) in 1974.

Radinsky is optimistic about Tomlin's chances of building on last year's showing.

"He's a big-time student," Radinsky said. "He's a very observant guy. He asks a ton of questions all the time. I would say he'd be a guy that would continue, and you'll just see the natural progress of him maturing, and figuring out the league a little more, and kind of understanding what he needs to do to pitch. If one guy is going to do it, he's going to be the guy."

Designated hitter Travis Hafner and outfielder Shelley Duncan attended Wednesday night's Republican debate in Phoenix with their wives. Both players are big into politics, especially during this election season.

Indians to be mic'd up against D-backs

GOODYEAR, Ariz. --

Indians fans are going to have a chance to hear some of what the players hear throughout the course of a ballgame.

On Thursday, MLB Network announced that the telecast of Cleveland's Cactus League contest against the D-backs on March 7 at Salt River Fields will included live in-game audio. A select group of players and coaches will wear microphones, giving insight into what is said and heard on the field and in the dugout.

"I like it," outfielder Shelley Duncan said. "I think they should do it more. They're trying to find ways to make games on TV more interesting. Test it out in Spring Training."

As many as six players on each team will be mic'd up for the broadcast, which will be called by MLB Network's Matt Vasgersian. Content will be aired throughout the game, with audio on a brief delay. Microphones will also be set up at each base, down the lines and along the outfield wall.

Duncan said that at first it is hard not to think about the fact that the microphone is there.

"Sure, you do think about it," he said. "Especially the first time you do it. Probably the more you do it, you don't think about it. You probably feel like you've got to talk sometimes when you normally don't. ... Some guys would probably overdo it -- the whole being-in-front-of-the-camera thing. But I like the idea."

Santana encouraged after 'normal' offseason

GOODYEAR, Ariz. --

The Indians had to force Carlos Santana to slow things down a bit over the offseason. Coming off his first full season in the big leagues, the catcher wanted to take part in winter ball in his native Dominican Republic.

He was instructed to rest before training hard.

"He came from a long year, too," manager Manny Acta said. "I thought it was good that he was able to rest his body. It still wasn't easy. The kid wanted to play winter ball, too. He just loves to play."

Santana will have plenty of opportunities to play for the Tribe this season. When he is not behind the plate, he will see time as a designated hitter and first baseman to keep his legs fresh and his bat in the lineup. He projects to be swinging out of the cleanup spot.

Santana reported to camp a bit trimmer after an offseason spent training with Nelson Perez, a strength and conditioning coach for the club who moved to the Dominican Republic to work with Santana and pitcher Ubaldo Jimenez over the winter.

Santana said that it was a great experience, especially considering this was the first normal offseason he has had in a few years. Last winter he was recovering from a major injury to his left knee. Two years ago he was coming off surgery to fix a broken hamate bone in his right hand.

This winter he was able to train without doing rehab.

"It was a great experience," he said. "It was my first time working out with a trainer in the offseason. It was a big difference. There was more preparing for the season. I'll be ready. This offseason was normal."

Last season, Santana hit just .239, but he belted 27 home runs, collected 79 RBIs, drew 97 walks and fashioned a .351 on-base percentage. The Indians believe that his average will continue to improve, especially as he continues to develop his approach from both sides of the plate.

A switch-hitter, Santana hit .202 with a .736 OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage) against right-handers last year and .318 (.964 OPS) against lefties. It was a complete reversal from 2010, when he hit .314 (1.002 OPS) against righties and .146 (.582) against lefties in his short stay in the Majors.

"Last year he got caught up a little bit into not using the whole field from the left side," Acta said. "It comes with experience. He knows that he can use the whole field and still hit a good amount of home runs, because guys are going to make mistakesm and he's going to hit them out. It's a given. I expect him to be better this year."

Masterson enters camp with no restrictions

By Jordan Bastian / MLB.com | 02/22/12 7:05 PM EST

GOODYEAR, Ariz. --

Justin Masterson has not been told if he will be starting on Opening Day for the Indians, but the big sinkerballer can at least rest easy knowing he heads into Spring Training with no restrictions after offseason shoulder surgery.

"I'm all locked and loaded," Masterson said on Wednesday, when the Tribe's pitchers and catchers held their first official workout of the spring.

Fortunately for the Indians, the operation Masterson needed over the winter involved his left, non-throwing shoulder. It is his right arm that has helped the pitcher emerge as a staff leader and a candidate to start the season opener against the Blue Jays on April 5 in Cleveland.

Masterson underwent an arthroscopic procedure -- performed by Dr. Craig Morgan in Wilmington, Del. -- to repair a labrum tear in his left shoulder on Oct. 12. It is an issue that dates back to Masterson's days with the Red Sox. The pitcher had a cyst operated on in 2007 and knew the labrum issue would likely flare up at some point.

"We just kind of waited, waited and waited," Masterson said. "Four or five years later, it's like, 'Yep.' I started to get that pain and it was more with the labral tear, so it was like, 'Let's just clean it up.'"

Masterson, who went 12-10 with a 3.21 ERA over 34 starts for the Tribe last season, noted that the left shoulder pain was an problem during his final start of 2011. In that Sept. 23 outing against the Twins, he issued a season-high six walks and exited after throwing 106 pitches in 4 2/3 innings.

In five September starts, Masterson went 2-2 with a 5.65 ERA for the Indians.

"I guess it could've had an effect on some other things," Masterson said. "The last one, it was hard to lift the shoulder. I dealt with it four or five years ago. It's not something you can't work through."

That said, Masterson is happy to have the latest surgery behind him and is ready for a full Spring Training with the Indians. The starter was actually able to begin his winter throwing program earlier than in past offseasons and he indicated that he quickly regained flexibility in his left arm.

"The process went well," Masterson said. "There's really no restrictions. It's been fine. There's been no issues. It's been good."

LaPorta in a battle for bench role

GOODYEAR, Ariz. --

The chances of first baseman Matt LaPorta making the Indians' Opening Day roster appear slim, but manager Manny Acta is not ready to rule anything out as Spring Training begins for the ballclub.

On Wednesday, Acta noted that LaPorta is in the mix for a bench job as a backup first baseman, left fielder and designated hitter. LaPorta was Cleveland's primary first baseman for the past two seasons, but the team signed veteran Casey Kotchman over the winter to assume that role.

"Matty comes here to compete for that [bench] spot at first base," Acta said. "He's coming into Spring Training in a good spot attitude-wise. He understands the situation and he's accepting the challenge. He has to come in and obviously show that he has improved the quality of his at-bats."

LaPorta's primary competition for that backup job is Shelley Duncan, who also hits right-handed and can play first, left field and DH. One difference between the two players is Duncan is out of Minor League options and LaPorta has one option remaining. That means LaPorta can be sent to Triple-A Columbus without first needing to clear waivers.

Last year, LaPorta hit .247 with 11 home runs and 53 RBIs in 107 games for the Indians. In 2010, the first baseman labored through an injury-hindered campaign to the tune of a .221 average across 110 games. LaPorta was a key component of the 2008 trade that sent CC Sabathia to the Brewers.

"None of us have given up on Matt," Acta said. "At any given time, Matt can turn it up and become a menace at the plate."