Kipnis could move back to the outfield
Jason Kipnis might be going back to a familiar spot.
Cleveland’s two-time AllStar second baseman could get some playing time in center field as the Indians look to add depth in their outfield after rookie Bradley Zimmer broke his left hand in Sunday’s game.
Kipnis, who has been on the disabled list since Aug. 23 with a hamstring injury that has bothered him for a couple of months, is excited about the prospect of returning to the outfield. He played outfield in college and began his minorleague career in the outfield for Class A Mahoning Valley in 2009.
“If he’s comfortable enough to do it, we might play him out there a little bit just to see how he does,” manager Terry Francona said. “If he’s able to handle it, all of a sudden, you go from moving somebody out of the infield — because we’ve got a really good thing going there — to adding his bat in the lineup in center field. So, again, it’s not a lock, but the fact that he was willing to try it is really meaningful to us. And we appreciate it.”
Zimmer, a USF alum, was injured while diving into first base in the seventh inning of Sunday’s 3-2 win over the Orioles, which extended Cleveland’s winning streak to 18 games. Francona said Zimmer visited renowned hand specialist Dr. Thomas Graham in New York on Monday.
With a huge lead in the AL Central, the Indians have time to experiment with Kipnis in center.
“I’m pretty sure I’ve still got it in me,” Kipnis said. “I think I can still do it.” Tigers’ Fulmer out: Detroit pitcher Michael Fulmer will undergo elbow surgery Tuesday and miss the rest of the season.
The 2016 AL Rookie of the Year is having a damaged nerve fixed by Dr. James Andrews in Florida. Manager Brad Ausmus said Monday that the All-Star will not throw for “three or four months,” but that the 24-yearold is expected to make a full recovery and should be ready for spring training.
Fulmer made his last start Aug. 29. He went 10-12 with a 3.83 ERA in 25 starts. The righthander, who had been experiencing numbness in his fingers, lost his last six decisions and didn’t win after July 15.
Fulmer went 11-7 with a 3.06 ERA in 26 games last season when he became the fifth Detroit player to win rookie honors and first since Justin Verlander in 2006. Injury report: Angels pitcher Alex Meyer is likely to miss the 2018 season after surgery Tuesday to repair a torn labrum in his shoulder.
The 6-foot-9 right-handed starter made a career-high 13 big-league appearances this season, going 4-5 with a 3.74 ERA. He hasn’t pitched in the majors since July 19.
Angels left-hander Andrew Heaney, who left his start in Seattle on Saturday with soreness in his shoulder, on Monday underwent an MRI exam that revealed nothing seriously wrong.
Heaney is questionable to make his next scheduled start.
Seattle outfielder Jarrod Dyson will miss the rest of the season because of “something similar to a sports hernia,” the Seattle Times reported.
Dyson, who is batting .251 with five homers, 30 RBIs and 28 stolen bases, will undergo surgery. He hasn’t played since Sept. 2, only his second game back after missing the previous 12 days with a right groin strain.
Yankees outfielder Clint Frazier, sidelined since Aug. 9 by a left oblique strain, was activated from the disabled list.