Indians star Lindor may miss season start with calf strain

CLEVELAND >> The Cleveland Indians may start the season without their best player.

All-Star shortstop Francisco Lindor will miss spring training camp — and maybe the start of the season — with a strained right calf. It’s an injury that is concerning to the AL Central champions, who have had an interesting offseason.

One of baseball’s top all-around players, Lindor recently got hurt while working out in Orlando, Florida.

The Indians, who have overhauled their roster this winter, anticipate him missing up to nine weeks, which would place his return sometime in early April.

A three-time All-Star, Lindor batted .277 last season with 38 homers, 92 RBIs and tied for the league lead with 129 runs.

Giants meet with Harper

SAN FRANCISCO >> Bryce Harper and the Giants met in the free agent slugger’s hometown of Las Vegas this week, and new San Francisco baseball operations chief Farhan Zaidi said the sides had mutual interest.

Zaidi, the club’s new president of baseball operations, would not say whether an offer was extended to the star outfielder. The Giants still hope to add two outfielders.

A fan posted that he had spotted Giants CEO Larry Baer in the Bellagio Monday night. “It’s kind of hard to deny when your CEO gets made in the casino,” Zaidi said with a chuckle Friday.

Manfred: No changes likely for ’19

ORLANDO, FLA. >> Don’t look for a National League designated hitter this year or for new anti-tanking rules in June’s amateur draft.

Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said management is focused on pace-of-game changes for 2019 and bolder ideas proposed by the players’ association are too complex to be put in place for this season.

Speaking Friday after an owners’ meeting, Manfred felt encouraged the union responded to management’s proposal for a pitch clock and a three-batter minimum for a relief pitcher unless an inning ends.

“Some of these items need to be part of broader discussions that certainly will continue after opening day, and I hope we can focus on some of the issues that need to get resolved quickly in the interim,” Manfred said.