News
Tribe's Carroll thriving in everyday role
Cleveland (28-35) vs. St. Louis (33-29), 4:10 p.m. ET
By Anthony Castrovince / MLB.com
06/12/09 11:33 PM ET
CLEVELAND -- Jamey Carroll is just your typical utility infielder, playing every day and now batting leadoff. |
OK, so Carroll's not typical. In the wake of Asdrubal Cabrera's shoulder injury, he's become a regular in Indians manager Eric Wedge's lineup. And in the opener of this weekend's three-game set with the Cardinals, Wedge inserted Carroll into the leadoff spot.
Assuming he's in the lineup (a safe assumption, it seems) Carroll figures to be back in that leadoff spot Saturday, when the series with the Cards continues as part of FOX's national "Saturday Game of the Week" package. Thom Brennaman will handle play-by-play, with former player Mark Grace doing the color. What does Wedge like about the 35-year-old Carroll at the top of the order? "He puts up tough at-bats," Wedge said. "When he makes outs, he makes good outs. He's very knowledgeable. He really understands the game and the different situations that come up." Situations that have sprouted up the past two seasons have resulted in Carroll getting much more playing time than the average utility guy. Last year, Cabrera was sent down to Triple-A and Josh Barfield injured his finger, so Carroll became the regular starter at second base over a five-week span in June and July. Now, with Cabrera and Grady Sizemore on the DL and Ben Francisco struggling in the leadoff spot in their absence, Carroll is counted on not just to fill a position in the field but also in the lineup. He said there's really no difference between batting leadoff and batting in the No. 2 spot he's occupied of late, but he did admit that a hitter must have a certain mentality to handle the top of the order. "I don't mind taking pitches," he said. "I see a lot of pitches, and, more times than not, I'm not worried to hit with two strikes." Carroll, who missed the first six weeks of this season with a broken bone in his right hand and is currently playing with a broken bone in his right middle finger, entered this series with a .317 (20-for-63) average and a .411 on-base percentage. And he's a capable defender at second and third. "Part of his value is his versatility and professionalism," Wedge said. "You can count on him and trust him." When Carroll came to the Tribe from the Rockies in a trade before the 2008 season, he wasn't sure if he'd get as much playing time as he did in the National League. "There aren't as many opportunities to pinch-hit and there's no double-switching," he said. "I was interested to see how they'd use me." And for the second successive year, they're using him regularly. "I wouldn't consider him a utility player," Wedge said. "He's more of a regular, but he's not a guy you're going to play seven days a week. If you give him calculated days off, he's going to perform." Pitching matchupCLE: RHP Tomo Ohka (0-0, 5.40 ERA)
Ohka is taking over the rotation spot that opened up when the Indians optioned Fausto Carmona to rookie ball. How long Ohka holds this spot will depend on his performance. He has given up six runs on 11 hits in 10 innings over two appearances of long relief work, both of which came on days Carmona started. Ohka hasn't started a Major League game since June 6, 2007, while with the Blue Jays. He is 3-4 with a 5.74 ERA in seven career appearances against the Cardinals. STL: RHP Brad Thompson (0-2, 4.50 ERA)
Thompson found a quick hook waiting for him in his last start, but ultimately fared pretty well and he's likely to get another chance to fill in for Kyle Lohse. At this point, the right-hander is what he is. When he keeps his sinking fastball down and throws strikes, he's effective. When he leaves the sinker up and/or misses the strike zone, he gets in trouble. Thompson can be very efficient when he's pitching well. Tidbits
Right-hander Jake Westbrook made his second rehab start for Double-A Akron on Friday night against Portland. He went four scoreless innings, allowing three hits with three strikeouts. ... Wedge said Luis Valbuena's numbers (.203 average, 277 on-base percentage, .351 slugging percentage) are no indication of the tough at-bats he's put up. He said Valbuena has not been overmatched up here. "He's a fierce competitor," Wedge said. "He's very demanding of himself." ... The Indians have won six games in which they were trailing after six innings. That surpasses last year's total. ... Ohka will be the 507th starting pitcher used in the history of the Indians franchise, but he'll be just the second born in Japan. Kaz Tadano made four starts in 2004. Ohka will be the 10th starter used this season. Tickets
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• Sunday: Indians (Cliff Lee, 3-6, 3.17) vs. Cardinals (Chris Carpenter, 4-0, 1.23), 8:05 p.m. ET
• Monday: Indians (Carl Pavano, 6-5, 5.40) vs. Brewers (Dave Bush, 3-3, 4.58), 7:05 p.m. ET
• Tuesday: Indians (Jeremy Sowers, 1-3, 5.10) vs. Brewers (Yovani Gallardo, 6-3, 2.88), 7:05 p.m. ET
Anthony Castrovince is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
