Slumping Kipnis drops in Indians’ order

continued to sink further and further. Francona moved him out of the No. 2 spot on May 11 to the bottom of the order.

“I don’t have much of a leg to stand on,” Kipnis said. “I know I’m a top-of-theorder guy. But I didn’t even need to have the conversation with him. I know how Tito thinks. He thinks the same way with me. He knows I fit well in that two-hole, with being able to bunt and do everything. But even I told him, ‘I’ve got to give you something. I’m just not doing it right now.’ ”

In a 9-8 win at Detroit on Tuesday, Kipnis hit a ball to center field that had a hit probability of 91 percent and an estimated distance of 402 feet, according to Statcast, but it was caught for an out. He later walked and singled. But he then came up with the bases loaded, the Indians down one run, and lightly grounded into an inning-ending double play.

“I’d rather have, at times, a swinging bunt than a 410-foot out to center, but it’s part of the game,” Kipnis said. “I’ve got to look at that, even though it’s 0 for 1, look at it like it’s 1 for 1 as a good at-bat. That’s what I’m trying to have. As long as I keep trying to have good at-bats, it will come.”

Kipnis went 1 for 4 on Wednesday in a 6-0 win over the Tigers with an RBI double, finally being rewarded for a positive swing.

Trevor Bauer was unlucky at times early last season and had to pitch through it, waiting for the averages to even out in his favor. He told Kipnis something similar.

“I said, ‘Hey, it’s not going unnoticed that you have one of the worst (batting averages on balls in play) in all of baseball in barreling balls that are going right to people,” Bauer said. “‘So don’t lose confidence, it’s going to turn around at some point.’ But it’s hard when you’re going through that to trust that. … So, (I’m) happy for him and his confidence to see something start falling.”