Zimmer back on track with Indians
Seemingly lost, somewhat forgotten, Bradley Zimmer has found his way back to the Cleveland Indians.
Sidelined by injuries for most of the past two seasons, Zimmer has put himself in position to not only make the roster but also be a part of manager Terry Francona’s regular lineup.
The 27-year-old started in left field in Monday’s exhibition against the Pittsburgh Pirates, and it’s not a reach to think he might be there again Friday when the Indians open this Covid19-delayed 2020 season against the Kansas City Royals.
It’s an impressive turnaround for the physically gifted Zimmer, who probably would be playing for the triple-a Columbus Clippers if not for this shortened season and a few other scenarios that have gone his way.
Zimmer is batting .556 (10 of 18) with four homers and seven RBI in eight intrasquad games. On Monday, he went 2 for 3 with a double and an RBI in the Indians’ 11-7 win.
Francona said seeing Zimmer thrive in his comeback has been beyond what he or the Indians could have expected.
“We’ve been hoping. We’ve said all along we love what’s in there,” Francona said. “He can impact the game just about anywhere. We were concerned about his amount of at-bats. He hasn’t played a lot in two years. But I don’t know how else to fix that this year. We’re going off what we’re going off of.”
Zimmer’s chance of emerging from a crowded outfield mix has been helped by Delino Deshields being slowed after contracting the coronavirus and Jordan Luplow’s back issue.
A first-round draft pick in 2014, Zimmer broke in with the Indians in 2017 and played 101 games. The 6-foot-5, 220-pounder was quickly nicknamed “Machine” by his teammates, who were awed by his speed on the bases and in the outfield gaps.
But Zimmer’s bright future hit a serious nag in 2018, when a torn labrum in his right shoulder required surgery that would sideline him for nearly a year.
He spent most of last season in Arizona rehabbing before being called up for nine games in September. When camp opened this past February, Zimmer was considered a long shot, at best, to make Cleveland’s opening-day roster, mainly because the team wanted to ease him back by getting him more playing time in the minors.
The pandemic changed those plans, and Zimmer’s performance so far this summer has forced the Indians to rethink their outfield alignment.
“I’m not going to lie, I’m feeling really good,” Zimmer said after hitting two home runs off Mike Clevinger in a recent scrimmage. “This is honestly what I expected. Coming in here a lot of people, honestly, haven’t really looked at me as an option.
“But in my mind, the quarantine and all that (has given) me more time to get ready to prove I’m here for a reason. At this point, I’m just playing. I’m happy to be playing baseball again.”
Zimmer radically changed his batting stance, and the results have been eye-popping. Instead of being hunched over, he’s standing taller in the batter’s box, allowing his hands to get through the strike zone more quickly.
“Zim looks like an Avatar,” Clevinger said, referring to the alien-like film creature. “The way he changed his stance, you can’t just beat him up and in like you used to. … By bringing his arms in and getting to his legs, he’s going to be a dangerous, dangerous player with that speed.”