Injury not bad as feared, but Encarnacion still sits
NEW YORK — Injured slugger Edwin Encarnacion was out of the Indians’ starting lineup Sunday night for Game 3 of their American League Division Series against the Yankees.
Michael Brantley replaced Encarnacion at designated hitter as the Indians tried to complete a three-game sweep and advance to the AL Championship Series. The move was expected after Encarnacion left Game 2 on Friday with a sprained right ankle.
Manager Terry Francona said before the game he doubted Encarnacion would be an option off the bench, and the team considers his status day to day.
“The trainers (were) encouraging him to go down to the cage (to) see how he feels, get the blood flowing,” Francona said. “But unless you see him pulling a Willis Reed, he’s probably not going to be available.”
Francona said Saturday that Encarnacion was unlikely to start Game 3 at Yankee Stadium, but the three-time All-Star hadn’t been ruled out even though he used crutches and wore a boot during a day off in the series.
Encarnacion said nothing is broken in his ankle. The team had feared a worse diagnosis, but Francona said Encarnacion felt much better Saturday and the club had no plans to replace him on the roster.
The injury certainly looked bad. Encarnacion rolled in the infield dirt in obvious pain after going awkwardly into second base as he attempted to scamper back on a linedrive double play, but an MRI showed only the sprain.
Encarnacion batted .258 Game 1: Game 2: Game 3: *Game 4: *Game 5: with 38 home runs and 107 RBIs in his first season with the Indians, who signed him to a three-year, $60 million contract after he spent seven-plus seasons with the Blue Jays.
He was 0-for-3 with a walk and a run scored in the first two games of the ALDS.
Jay Bruce moved up to Encarnacion’s cleanup spot Sunday against Yankees right-hander Masahiro Tanaka, and Brantley batted seventh.
Brantley, who went 0-for-5 with two strikeouts after replacing Encarnacion in Game 2, missed the Indians’ run to the World Series last year and sat out 50 games after Aug. 8 this season with an ankle-ligament injury. The two-time All-Star hasn’t had a chance to play much since returning.
“He’s not a seven hitter, (but) we (will) hit him seventh just because he hasn’t been playing much,” Francona said of Brantley. “It was a place where we could break up the righthanders and not put so much glare on him.
“It’s not ideal, but if anybody can find his swing, it’s Brantley. There’s not very many moving parts. He can fend balls off if he needs to. He can fight for himself (and) he’ll find a way to help us.”
Brantley was possibly going to play left field in Game 3 before Encarnacion’s injury. Austin Jackson was in left field instead, with Roberto Perez at catcher rather than Game 2 star Yan Gomes.