The Columbus Clippers will play their home opener on April 18.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The top prospect in the Cleveland Indians organization will begin 2015 where he ended last season -- with the AAA Columbus Clippers. But how long shortstop Francisco Lindor remains there is the question.

Lindor, the Indians' top pick in the 2011 MLB Draft, hit .273 in 38 games in Columbus last year. A switch-hitter, he hit .278 in 88 games in Akron before he moved up to the Clippers in July.

In 16 spring training games, Lindor hit .297 with 11 hits in 37 at-bats, scoring six runs, and collecting three doubles, a triple, two homers and five RBI.

The Clippers roster includes eight players on the Indians' 40-man roster: Pitchers Shawn Armstrong, Charles Brewer, C.C. Lee, Danny Salazar, first baseman Jesus Aguilar, third baseman Giovanny Urshela and outfielder Carlos Moncrief.

Salazar and veteran lefthander Bruce Chen will be in the rotation. Chen has an 82-80 career record with 14 teams in 17 seasons. He was 9-4 with Kansas City in 2013, then split last season between the Royals and the minors, going 2-4 with a 7.45 ERA in 13 games with the Royals.

Salazar was expected to be in the Indians' rotation this spring, but struggled in camp and was sent down two weeks ago.

Also expected to be part of the rotation is right-hander Shaun Marcum, who has been out since 2013 with shoulder issues. Marcum had shoulder surgery in July of 2013 and tried to come back last season, but the shoulder issues returned. Marcum was 1-0 with a 1.29 ERA in three games for the Indians this spring. He has a 58-46 lifetime record with a 3.88 ERA.

The Clippers open Thursday at Indianapolis. They play their first game at home on April 18 against Toledo. 

Only one question remains: Can he do it for an entire season? The Indians are confident he can.

HOUSTON -- The Indians kept waiting on Carlos Carrasco.

They waited for him to solve the mental puzzle. He served a pair of suspensions for suspiciously timed pitches that hitters deemed too close for comfort.

They waited for him to put it together physically. Carrasco missed the 2012 campaign because of Tommy John surgery.

They waited for him to prove he belongs in the rotation. He was banished to the bullpen in April last season after four ineffective starts.

Over the final five months of the season, Carrasco answered nearly every question. He pitched well in relief and, upon re-insertion into the rotation, posted a 1.30 ERA in 10 starts. The Indians waited and waited and the right-hander finally delivered.

Only one question remains: Can he do it for an entire season? The Indians are confident he can. That's why they officially announced on Tuesday a new four-year contract that will pay the pitcher a base salary of $22 million, with team options for the 2019 and 2020 seasons.

"He wanted so bad the last couple years to be told he was a starter," said Indians manager Terry Francona. "And what he did was he went out and earned it, which is really more meaningful. He doesn't need smoke and mirrors and tricks to get onto the mound. He now just has a solid routine and when he follows that, he's good."

The Indians first broached the subject of a long-term extension when the two sides negotiated a one-year, $2.3 million deal for the 2015 campaign. Talks heated up over the last few days of spring training. The terms of the deal are as follows:

2015: $2.34 million. 2016: $4.5 million. 2017: $6.5 million. 2018: $8.0 million. 2019: $9M option. 2020: $9.5M option. The buyout is $662,500.

The Indians announced a five-year extension for Corey Kluber worth $38.5 million earlier in the week.

"Because of each guy's potential and performance, there was a lot of uncertainty around what it would cost to retain them moving forward," said General Manager Chris Antonetti. "The benefit of having these contracts is we're able to better plan around them and build a better team around them."

Carrasco logged a 6.95 ERA in four starts last April. Out of options, he was relegated to a relief role. Pitching coach Mickey Callaway and bullpen coach Kevin Cash reconfigured his routine to convince him to attack opposing hitters from the get-go, rather than ease into an outing. He compiled a 2.30 ERA in 26 appearances out of the 'pen and by late July, Carrasco was pleading his case for a return to the rotation.

Callaway and Cash assured Francona and Antonetti that Carrasco could excel if given another chance. Carrasco didn't disappoint.

"Cash kept saying 'He's ready, he's ready,' and Mickey was like, 'He's ready,'" Francona said. "Part of me was like, 'It's not that easy to insert somebody who's not stretched out.' The other part of me was like, 'Well, he's found a pretty good home, let's not mess it up.'

"And they kept pushing. And then when we ran into that stretch when we had the off days, it seemed to really make some sense because if he didn't go far, we had days off. Even if he did pitch good but didn't get deep, it wasn't going to hurt us because of the days off. So we decided to do it and he kind of took it and ran with it, which is pretty awesome."

Carrasco was not eligible for free agency until after the 2017 season, but the new contract protects the Indians from potentially having to pay him more should he continue the stretch of dominance he exhibited last summer.

"We just looked at not only the way that Carlos pitched, but his continued maturation and development as a pitcher," Antonetti said. "He's always had very good quality stuff. His mix of pitches has always been a strength from the time we acquired him. But we've seen the continued development and maturity and improvement in his routines, his consistency and his focus and we saw it translate to his success as a starting pitcher last year. We believe that now, not only does he have the physical attributes, but the other attributes to be a successful starter. He was the first guy in the weight room every morning [during spring training], preparing to be successful.

"We don't believe it's an accident, the success that he had last year."

That success came after years of waiting. Carrasco had flashed glimpses of greatness. He had a five-start stretch in June 2011 in which he posted a 0.98 ERA. Later on, he thrived in a relief role. Finally, he pieced it all together.

"They never gave up [on me]," Carrasco said. "They always gave me the opportunity. That's what they did last year. They gave me a big opportunity and I didn't waste it. I took it and I think everything has worked out."

Announced on Tuesday and first reported by Sam Amick of USA Today, first-year National Basketball Players Association executive director Michele Roberts issued an internal memo revealing the "2015 Players Choice Awards."

MILWAUKEE -- NBA players will finally have their say when it comes to end-of the-season awards.

Announced on Tuesday and first reported by Sam Amick of USA Today, first-year National Basketball Players Association executive director Michele Roberts issued an internal memo revealing the "2015 Players Choice Awards."

"Been working on it for a while," said Cavs forward James Jones, who serves as the team's union rep. "Something players have been interested in doing for a long time. I think it probably would have been done a lot earlier but we've been in transition as far as a union staff and our front office. It's something that's pretty exciting for the players because it just gives the players a voice and an opportunity to interact and make their opinions known to the fans. It's really about the fans."

Since the 1980-81 season, members of selected media have been responsible for voting on NBA awards, which include the Most Valuable Player, Sixth Man of the Year, Coach of the Year and a handful of others. The ballots are already out and the final votes are due the day after the regular season ends. The winners of the NBA awards will be revealed during the playoffs. 

But players have increasingly voiced their desire to have a part in the process. Kevin Durant opened up about it nearly three months ago and Warriors star Stephen Curry shared his view during a mid-March interview on The Dan Patrick Show as well. 

"It's a conversation we can have at a later date," LeBron James said of whether the players should replace the media in the voting process. "The media has done a great job every single year with picking after-season awards and in-season awards. But us players as well, we get to see the guys every single day. It's a longer conversation."

According to USA Today, the anonymous votes for the 2015 Players Choice Awards will be cast and winners will be announced at a summer meeting in Las Vegas.

As Jones revealed Wednesday morning at Cavaliers shootaround, there are a number of interesting categories, both on the court and off, that the players have been asked to vote on. A "Man of the Year" award will honor a player's efforts in the community. Of course, there will also be the hotly debated MVP award.

"Myself," James said with a smile when asked about which player would get his vote for MVP. He then revealed players couldn't vote for themselves in these new postseason awards. His teammates, however, can.

"I will leave my voting to be seen by the tallies, but we have made it known how I feel and we feel about LeBron," Jones said after admitting the Cavs have yet to fill out their ballots. "That's for all the players because it's not just about one category, it's about different categories."

Jones wouldn't go into any more detail about the new categories, but did provide a few hints. 

"The types of players guys are on the floor and off the floor and just a whole combination of interesting categories that I think our fans and our players will be excited to learn about."

Wrestling legend Dan Gable said he will do whatever is necessary to help Cleveland State wrestling supporters save the team.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Dan Gable is ready to join the fight to save Cleveland State wrestling. Gable pledged his support for the team, which was told last week it is to be defunded following the 2015-16 season.

"It doesn't make a lot of sense,'' he said. "We're not planning on rolling to our backs and getting pinned. I just want to be on board to do whatever is necessary.''

Gable told The Plain Dealer in a phone interview this week he was surprised to learn of CSU athletic director John Parry's decision to defund the wrestling team to make room for a new men's lacrosse program.

Gable said losing a program like Cleveland State in the heart of wrestling county is a body blow.

"This is unusual, really unusual because it's Cleveland,'' he said. "Cleveland and Pittsburgh are the top two wrestling cities in the U.S. for high school wrestling. It is surprising.''

Gable, now retired, coached Iowa to 15 NCAA championships between 1976 and 1997. As a wrestler, he was an Olympic and world champion, and two-time NCAA champ.

The number of Division I college wrestling teams has dropped from 146 to 77 since 1977. While the rate of colleges dropping wrestling has declined, Gable said he worries about the fabric of college athletics when a wrestling program is lost.

"You don't want to take that away,'' he said. "This is a sport that provides us with so many leaders. It's not a sport you want to take away because you take away future leaders; you take away freedom in the U.S."

Gable has been in contact with officials from the National Wrestling Coaches Association and the Cleveland-based Wrestlers in Business Network, who met last week with Parry. They discussed a partnership with the university, and tentatively plan to meet again this week.

Before the news broke at CSU, WIBN scheduled Gable to visit Cleveland. He is to appear June 17 at Butcher and Brewer on East 4^th St.

Gable, 66, said wrestling needs to become more entertaining and TV friendly. He acknowledged funding non-revenue sports such as wrestling is a serious challenge for every athletic department. Parry said CSU wrestling can continue beyond 2015-16 for two additional seasons if it raised $800,000, and it can become endowed if supporters raise $5 million.

Gable said telling an existing sport it has to go out and find its own funding is not the right path.

"The key thing is to become a little smarter,'' Gable said. "I don't think it's fair to say to one sport, 'To be around, you have to pay for it.' That's not fair for any sport, especially an original sport.''

Wrestling has been a varsity sport at CSU for 52 years and the Vikings are coming off one of the best seasons in the last decade, including two national qualifiers.

Cleveland State students are voting today through Thursday on a non-binding referendum calling for a $4-6 per credit hour fee that would fund wrestling and pay for a new women's sport. The university previously rejected a similar proposal that would have funded men's lacrosse and a women's sport. In the wake of that decision, Parry chose to add lacrosse and defund wrestling.

"Nothing is easy for our sport, and that's what makes it special,'' Gable said. "It's never easy. But we love our sport. We are willing to go about whatever it takes to help wrestling.''

Some mock drafts have Marcus Mariota falling out of the Top 10 -- and then past the Browns, twice.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- There are a couple of routes to take when you piece together a mock draft.

The first is easy: Slot the top prospects to the top few teams and then start matching needs with the rest as you go along. If you've been following along with what many pundits have the Browns doing in three weeks, you'll notice that most mocks have them picking from this year's batch of top defensive linemen, offensive linemen and wide receivers at Nos. 12 and 19. 

Another route: The NFL Draft season is long and it lends itself to some of these same pundits dreaming up far-fetched scenarios, unlikely trades and wild stabs at trying to predict the unpredictable. This week's mock draft roundup blends the familiar with the bizarre. In fact, this week's first featured mock draft does that all on its own. It comes from Ron Clements of Sporting News:

12. Browns: DeVante Parker, WR, Louisville

Parker has probably the strongest hands of any receiver in this year's draft class. He's big at 6-3, 209 and the Browns made Parker one of their top-30 visits. He came back from a foot injury last year to catch 43 passes for 855 yards and six touchdowns in six games. He finished his Louisville career as the school leader with 33 touchdowns and 10 100-yard games. 

19. Browns: Malcom Brown, DT, Texas

Not to be confused with Texas running back Malcolm Brown, the 6-2, 319-pound defensive tackle was a finalist for both the Bronco Nagurski and Outland trophies. He was the first Texas defensive tackle to lead the Longhorns in both tackles for loss (13) and sacks (6.5) since 1984. 

That all makes sense. Mock drafts that have either Parker or Brown are easy to find. Here's where things get wonky:

20. Eagles: Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon

Don't be surprised if someone trades up to snag Mariota, but if he drops here, it's a no-brainer for coach Chip Kelly to grab him. Mariota is comfortable with Kelly, who coached the 2014 Heisman winner in 2012.

I double checked to make sure Chip Kelly wasn't the person behind this mock draft. Could Mariota actually slide all the way to 20? Just looking at it from the Browns side of things: you can't pass on him twice. Not when, as I've said before, your quarterback room is Josh McCown, Johnny Manziel, Connor Shaw and Thad Lewis. Nothing to see here. Moving on.

Dan Kadar of SB Nation puts out his latest mock draft with his picks for each team along with a couple of other options for each slot. Here are his Browns picks:

12. Kevin White, WR, West Virginia

If the Browns are fortunate enough to see a player of White's caliber available, they have to strike. In fact, if White's around at picks eight through 10, they should consider making a move. They got lucky in this scenario. White is a highly skilled wide receiver with upside, assuming the Browns could develop him and have a quarterback to get him the ball.

Options: DeVante Parker (WR), Eddie Goldman (DT)

This is the first time I've seen Goldman mentioned for the Browns. It would be a reach, based on most mocks that have him going late in the first round.

19. Arik Armstead, DE, Oregon

The Browns have one of the worst run defenses in the NFL and need to figure out how to fix it. It's been announced that Phil Taylor will play nose tackle next season, so that leaves a spot at end. Players like John Hughes and Billy Winn are solid, but Armstead is a high-upside developmental player.

Options: T.J. Clemmings (OT), trade up

Remember what I said earlier? Some combination from the group of wide receivers, offensive linemen and defensive linemen.

Speaking of which, Danny Shelton, the defensive tackle out of Washington, has been a popular choice for the Browns. Chris Fedor had him at No. 12. Tom Reed, too. He fits that combination of being one of the best guys available in the top half of the first round and he fills an obvious need. Pete Prisco of CBSsports.com, though, thinks the Browns can land Shelton later in the first round and address their lack of playmakers at No. 12. It's called having your cake and eating it too.

12. DeVante Parker, WR, Louisville

He isn't far behind the top two WRs in terms of talent, and they need help. They could also go for a power player inside on defense.

19. Danny Shelton, DT, Washington

He is a power player and they need that in the middle of their defense. They have to get better against the run.

These scenarios all make the Browns better. How much better? A little. They can maybe stop the run a little more or cause some defenses an extra headache or two, but not exponentially better. These first rounds are bland, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. Let's not forget what came of 2014's not-so-bland opening day of the draft. Still, it would be nice if -- WAIT! WE HAVE A TRADE!!! (!!!)

Will Brinson, also of CBS Sports, brings us the Browns making a move -- down?

12. Philadelphia: Arik Armstead, DT, Oregon

It would be pretty hysterical if Chip Kelly made the bold move to trade up in the first round of the draft to grab one of his former players and that player wasn't Mariota. Philly and Cleveland talked trade earlier in the year with respect to Sam Bradford. This deal wouldn't include any quarterback swapping or a first-round pick.

So that leaves the Browns:

19. Cleveland: Alvin Dupree, DE, Kentucky

The hype's died down from Dupree's ridiculous performance at the combine, but he's still an insanely athletic pass rusher with tons of upside who could fit the bill for the Browns first round.

20. Cleveland: (from PHI) Dorial Green-Beckham, WR, Oklahoma

The Browns lost hyper-talented, hyper-troubled wideout Josh Gordon for all of 2015 so why not replace him with someone similar?

The Browns just got burned by a talented-but-troubled receiver so why not give it another shot? This guy is just messing with us, right? Brian Baldinger of NFL.com, bring us back to reality:

12. Browns: La'El Collins, OT, LSU

Mike Pettine knows he needs to get better in the trenches. Collins is a powerful run blocker who can play right tackle or offensive guard. Nothing fancy here, just a solid player.

19. Browns: Malcom Brown, DT, Texas

The Browns fight the urge to take Marcus Mariota here, but get a much-needed nose tackle to anchor their porous defensive front from 2014.

There, that's better -- wait, who did you say they would fight the urge to take?

20. Eagles: Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon

Whether it's here at pick No. 20 or through a trade, Mariota gets reunited with Chip Kelly and the Eagles keep on Ducking.

I feel like I'm taking crazy pills.

Mock drafts linked in this post: Ron Clements | Dan Kadar | Pete Prisco | Will Brinson | Brian Baldinger

Follow @dan_labbe

"It's ridiculous," Cocoa High School coach John Wilkinson told Northeast Ohio Media Group. "It's totally wrong to do this to an 18-year-old kid who should be in high school, who you talked into coming up there early. You can't treat people this way."

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The high school football coach of Ohio State freshman Jamel Dean feels the Buckeyes are denying Dean his place on the team over a typical injury.

"It's ridiculous," John Wilkinson told Northeast Ohio Media Group on Wednesday. "It's totally wrong to do this to an 18-year-old kid who should be in high school, who you talked into coming up there early.

"You can't treat people this way."

Wilkinson is the coach at Cocoa High School in Florida, a talent hotbed that includes Ohio State 2017 oral commitment Bruce Judson, a top-20 player in his class; and Chauncey Gardner, a cornerback in the 2016 class who recently committed to Florida but continues to be pursued by the Buckeyes.

Asked if the treatment of Dean could affect his view of Ohio State in the future, Wilkinson said, "No doubt about that."

But his concern is the handling of a player who was the second pledge to Ohio State's 2015 class, making his oral commitment in December of 2013.

"I go on a kid-by-kid basis, and this is about Jamel, it's not about the other kids," Wilkinson said. "It's about taking care of a kid who was committed to you for 18 months, and you're pushing him out before he even got an opportunity. He didn't get a chance to do anything."

* Jamel Dean recruiting capsule

An Ohio State source told NEOMG, after the initial story was published, that Ohio State's medical staff disqualified Dean from playing after his initial physical in January and Ohio State didn't change from that position. The source said the OSU doctors deemed Dean's knee injury to be that serious, and that roster numbers had nothing to do with the situation.

Wilkinson contends that Dean could continue playing, and that Ohio State decided he couldn't. Dean tore his ACL in December of 2013, then returned for his senior season of football in 2014 and suffered a torn meniscus in his final game.

But Dean still enrolled at Ohio State in January for the start of the winter semester. He is around for spring football, though coaches said he wasn't participating. According to a report from 11 Warriors on Wednesday, Dean was not medically cleared to play by Ohio State.

Wilkinson confirmed that, but he said Dean had a second opinion from noted sports surgeon Dr. James Andrews. Wilkinson said Andrews' opinion was that Dean needed continued rehab on his knee and should be ready to resume full activities this summer. Meanwhile, Dean felt he was ready to contribute in some way this spring, and Wilkinson said he wasn't allowed to do that.

Wilkinson said he has been checking with other schools and that Dean will wind up at a school that will let him play.

"Someone is not going to take him if there's something medical there," he said.

But he said the only option at Ohio State was a medical hardship to end Dean's playing career but remain on scholarship. In that case, the scholarship does not count against the team's scholarship limit of 85.

"They're saying they're going to honor his scholarship, but honoring his scholarship doesn't allow him to play the game he loves to play," Wilkinson said. "It's all ridiculous and I don't appreciate them treating my kid this way.

"I'm sticking up for my kid. He was committed to them, but yet they're not fully committed to him."

The Buckeyes must be down to 85 scholarship players by the start of the season. They entered spring football at what looked like 88 scholarship players. 

"How aware am I of the roster? About as well as you can be," coach Urban Meyer said on National Signing Day in February. "There's a couple guys that you're just not sure can continue playing. You have to just to be aware.

"But there's also the truth that you don't know for the next couple weeks, couple months, with these injuries what happens. So you have to prepare. 

"But you also can't do the unthinkable and that's be stuck with 87 scholarship players come June or July."

Wilkinson said he has been concerned about this scenario for months. He said Ohio State performed an MRI on Dean less than a week after he arrived, and talk of Dean's career with the Buckeyes ending began then. Wilkinson said the doctor who Dean saw in Florida after last season had said it was a four- to six-week injury.

"I was not happy," Wilkinson said. "We are not happy on this side."

Wilkinson said he has been going back and forth with Ohio State coaches and staff since January.

"I knew it was going to get ugly," Wilkinson said.

* Updated at 5:15 p.m. with comment from Ohio State source.

Macauda spent 11 years as Brush's head coach.

LYNDHURST, Ohio -- Jayson Macauda's 11-year tenure as Brush boys basketball head coach is over. The school has decided to "move the basketball program in a different direction," according to a press release sent out by Brush's athletic department.

"When I found out, I was shocked and disappointed," Macauda said. "We had a good run in my tenure at Brush. We've won nearly two-thirds of my games in my 11 years here. We've done a lot of good things."

Macauda addressed his team on Tuesday night, and Brush will be posting the job this week to applicants. 

In his 11 years with the Arcs, Macauda went 160-88, including a 13-10 record in 2014-15. The school last won a league title in 2012.

Despite the shock he felt, Macauda made sure to thank the two athletic directors he's worked for, coaches, players, parents, referees and opposing coaches. 

"I've always asked my kids to handle things with integrity and class," Macauda said. "That's what I'm going to do here."

Recently, Brush has struggled to make deep playoff runs, and Macauda believes that went into the decision. The last two seasons, the Arcs lost in the sectional final round. They had not reached a district final since 2012.

Macauda would like to stay coaching, but he wants to make sure he waits for the right opportunity.

"When I go in, I'm all in," he said. "I spend a lot of hours on this, and I love doing this."

Whoever takes over at Brush will have a young team. The Arcs graduate the majority of their starting lineup, including Chris Oakley and Marcel Rice. Guard Rob Bearden is the top contributor expected to return.

The team will also be changing leagues next year, as Brush hops from the Northeast Ohio Conference River Division to the newly formed Western Reserve Conference.

Contact high school sports reporter David Cassilo by email (dcassilo@cleveland.com) or Twitter (@dcassilo). Or log in and leave a message in the comments section below.

Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel has visited kids in hospitals as part of his inpatient rehab program.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- While Johnny Manziel continues to work on his recovery, he's been brightening the day of some young hospital patients.

He visited a young girl with the twitter handle of Kiki June Crist, who's in the Hershey Medical Center in Pennsylvania with an illness.

The girl tweeted several messages of thanks to Manziel, including one that read, "Shout to @JManziel2 for visiting me in the hospital!''

Dawg Pound Daily also interviewed Crist after the visit, and here are a few excerpts from that interview:

Q: Did you know Johnny Manziel was coming to your hospital?

A: "I had no idea he was coming, my nurse came in and said you have a special visitor and asked if I minded if he came in, when he walked in my heart stopped! He definitely got my mind off me being in the hospital!"

Q: What was it like there when people heard he was around?

A: "Well I was drooling, haha but it was fun, calmed me down and it was good to get my mind off everything that has been going on!"

Q: How long did you get to talk to him and what was he like?

A: "25 minutes, he was a very kind and caring guy! We held a steady conversation, I asked to come back on Thursday if I get my surgery."

@JManziel2 [?] [?] pic.twitter.com/FYxTBqUmOL

— Kiki Crist[?] (@kikijunecrist) April 8, 2015

Manziel has always enjoyed talking to kids in schools, hospitals and other settings, and the visits are part of his treatment plan.

Manziel, who's set to be released soon from rehab, also spent Saturday golfing with his dad in Shreveport, La., and likely spent Easter with his family.

He's been permitted to leave the treatment center for brief stints over the past month to transition back into life outside of the facility.

/> Manziel is still on track to join the Browns for the start of the offseason program April 20th.

Browns left tackle Joe Thomas recently told ESPN Cleveland that Manziel would have to regain the trust of his teammates, but Buster Skrine and Alex Mack both told Sirius XM NFL radio that Manziel doesn't have to regain theirs and that he's a good guy and teammate.

The Browns have more pressing concerns at quarterback, receiver, run stopper, edge rusher and tight end.

BEREA, Ohio -- There will come a day, maybe even in your lifetime, when the Browns won't have to draft for need in the early rounds.

They will have enjoyed enough success and stability to shop for luxury, adding a quality prospect who they can develop as part of a rotation or maybe even play at a position that won't be his long-term home.

Of course, it requires winning more than seven games and keeping the same decision-makers in place for more than two years. The Browns are to continuity what Bill Belichick is to fashion-forward.

So, it's interesting to see how many mock drafts have them selecting an offensive lineman with either the No. 12 or No. 19 pick. Tackles Ereck Flowers (University of Miami), La'el Collins (LSU) and D.J. Humphries (Florida) have all been slotted to the club by national writers and draft analysts.

Could the Browns upgrade the right side of their line? Sure. Should they search for a replacement for center Alex Mack, who could leave after the 2015 season? Possibly. Is it too early to start looking down the road to life after Joe Thomas? Not really.

But the Browns cannot dedicate one of their two first rounders to satisfy any of these objectives. They have needs far more pressing on both sides of the ball -- quarterback, front-line receiver, run stopper, edge rusher, tight end -- to consider drafting an offensive lineman that high.

Obviously, nobody publishing these click baits will be making the Browns picks April 30. And because mocks work best when there's movement on the draft board, it's understandable how an offensive lineman might spend a week or two under the Browns' banner.

It's hard to imagine, however, the team taking one so early. Especially given general manager Ray Farmer's rough off-season and tenuous hold on his position. He must win now or offer compelling visual evidence the Browns are moving that direction.

Losing center Alex Mack to a broken leg was a big blow to the Browns' offense in the middle of the 2014 season. Chuck Crow, The Plain Dealer

As much as I'm against bundling the first-round selections and adding sweetner to trade up for Marcus Mariota, it would be a better allocation of prime assets than drafting a tackle. The offensive line and secondary are the Browns' position groups of strength. They have invested heavily in these areas and been rewarded with All Pros and Pro Bowlers.

What the Browns need is playmakers on offense, a defensive lineman specializing in stopping the run and a pass rusher to play opposite Paul Kruger. The club can address some concerns on the offensive line, but not until the mid to later rounds.

The unit ranked as the NFL's sixth best a season ago, according to ProFootballFocus.com, despite losing Mack to a broken leg in Week 5. It's obviously a subjective rating, and while I don't always agree with PFF's assessments, the website got it right here.

The concerns with the Browns line come on the right side, mainly with tackle Mitchell Schwartz. The 25-year-old struggled in his second season, playing through injury, but he was better a year ago. John Greco isn't nearly as talented as left guard Joel Bitonio, yet he remains dependable.

If the line had a glaring issue last season it was depth. You don't easily replace the quality of a player like Mack, and the Browns were caught unprepared. Veteran guard Paul McQuistan was a disaster in his one start with Greco briefly moving to pivot. McQuistan's inability to hold down the job left the Browns scrambling.

An offense so potent through the first five games never showed consistency in the campaign's second half. Mack's broken leg unraveled the offense, and his disjointed contract -- he can opt out of the five-year deal after next season -- threatens the line's long-term stability.

Appearing Wednesday on SiriusXM NFL Radio, Mack didn't want to discuss his future beyond this season.

"I'm not going to worry about it too much," he said. "My worry is about getting on the field and playing. ... I'm worried about how I can help my team and how I can be the same player I was before I broke my leg."

The Browns could spend a mid-round pick on Hobart's Ali Marpet, Kansas State's B.J. Finney or Georgia Tech's Shaq Mason and groom one to become Mack's replacement should he bolt. A case also could be made for using a mid rounder on a tackle, but lets not forget the Browns claimed former Seahawks tackle Michael Bowie off waivers last August. The 6-foot-5, 320-pounder missed all of 2014 recovering from a shoulder injury, but started nine games the previous year for Seattle during its Super Bowl-winning season. Bowie is just 23.

The club has important decisions to make in the coming weeks and how to address deficiencies on the offensive line is among them. Selecting a tackle in the first round would qualify as a luxury -- one the Browns cannot afford.

Here are the lineups and the pitching matchup for Wednesday's affair at Minute Maid Park.

HOUSTON -- Here are the lineups and the pitching matchup for Wednesday's affair at Minute Maid Park.

Pitching matchup: Carlos Carrasco (8-7, 2.55 ERA last year) vs. Scott Feldman (8-12, 3.74 ERA last year)

Lineups

Indians

1. CF Michael Bourn

2. 2B Jason Kipnis

3. LF Michael Brantley

4. 1B Carlos Santana

5. RF Brandon Moss

6. C Yan Gomes

7. DH David Murphy

8. 3B Lonnie Chisenhall

9. SS Jose Ramirez

Astros

1. 2B Jose Altuve

2. RF George Springer

3. 3B Luis Valbuena

4. DH Evan Gattis

5. 1B Chris Carter

6. C Jason Castro

7. SS Jed Lowrie

8. LF Colby Rasmus

9. CF Jake Marisnick

The coaching carousel in Northeast Ohio has begun.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The coaching carousel has begun for Northeast Ohio high school boys basketball. Check below for an updating list on which schools are making coaching changes, and who they are hiring.

Brush

Out: Jayson Macauda. Brush decided to go in a different direction after Macauda's 11-year tenure with the program. He last won a league title in 2012 and lost in the sectional final in each of the last two postseasons. He won 160 games at the school.

Valley Forge

Out: John Ugan. After eight seasons with Valley Forge, Ugan has decided to move on. He fell on hard times recently, as Valley Forge won just one game during the 2014-15 season. Ugan wants to remain in basketball, but he is undecided if he wants to be a head coach again.

Nordonia

Out: Matt Cash. The six-year tenure for Cash at Nordonia ended after a seven-win season in 2014-15. The highlight of Cash's time at Nordonia was the 2012-13 season in which the Knights won 22 games and advanced to the regional round in Division I.

Benedictine

Out: Al Wilson. An alum who won a state title with Benedictine, Wilson could not recapture the same success as a head coach. The Bengals coach resigned in March. Benedictine won eight games in his final season and fell in the sectional round.

Akron East

Out: Joe Wojcik. A brief, two-year tenure ended for Wojcik at Akron East. In his second season, Akron East struggled and won just one game. Prior to Akron East, Wojcik had coached at Firestone.

Contact high school sports reporter David Cassilo by email (dcassilo@cleveland.com) or Twitter (@dcassilo). Or log in and leave a message in the comments section below.

The Ohio State Racing Commission and state horsemen's groups are trying to develop limits on the emerging use of cobalt.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Ohio State Racing Commission and state horsemen's groups are trying to develop limits on the emerging use of cobalt, a natural substance showing up in unusually high levels in post-race testing of race horses.

"We believe because high levels of cobalt are a potentially fatal substance and detrimental to both the equine athlete and to racing, that this is an issue that simply cannot wait for other agencies to act," said Chairman Robert K. Schmitz, recently appointed by Gov. John R. Kasich to his second four-year term as head of the OSRC.

Schmitz has brought in Dr. James Robinson, a retired faculty member of Ohio State University, as a consulting veterinarian to the OSRC.

"He's an equine surgeon and also has been a racetrack veterinarian for both thoroughbred and standardbred racing," said Schmitz. "At our next OSRC meeting we'll be getting information (on cobalt) from veterinarians, and we'll follow that up with information from scientists and chemical experts."

Cobalt is an important element for horse survival, but in miniscule amounts. Some horsemen reportedly used supplements to significantly increase the cobalt level in a horse in an attempt to improve a horse's performance. Schmitz said "unnaturally high levels of cobalt in plasma" have been detected in post-race tests for both harness horses and thoroughbreds in Ohio.

The naturally occurring level of cobalt in standardbreds is 5.8 parts per billion and 2.39 ppb for thoroughbreds. A safe level for cobalt, according to early reports, would be below 25 ppb. In some tests around the country, the levels have been as high as 1,000 ppb.

The horsemen's groups want specific rules that apply to their type of horse. They point out that harness horses often race weekly, while thoroughbreds are more likely to run every three or four weeks, which required a different standard of testing.

Because of those distinctions, the U.S. Trotting Association walked away from the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium last year. At that time, the issue was withdrawal times before racing for corticosteroids and the bronchodilator clenbuterol.

The cobalt issue has already come to a head at Meadowlands Racetrack in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Last November, track owner Jeff Gural banned trainer Corey Johnson, one of the top young trainers in North America, after a cobalt test five times higher than 25 ppb. The Ontario Racing Commission also suspended Johnson for 13 months, fined him $5,000 and put him on probation for two years.

Milstein nominees: Northfield Park's signature $500,000 Milstein Memorial for Aug. 14 has 35 three-year-old pacers nominated. Some of last year's top two-year-olds on the list are In the Arsenal, who paced a 1:49.2 mile en route to winning $396,319, Go Daddy Go (1:51.1, $365,567), Lyons Levi Lewis (1:52.1, $362,078) and Lost For Word (1:50.4, $200,286). The nominees also include unbeaten Roland N Rock (14 wins), Wiggle It Jiggleit (6) and Allbeef N Nobull (4).

No talking allowed: OSRC Chairman Schmitz has a reputation for being a stickler for rules. Some believe he was behind Northfield Park judges handing three-day suspensions and $200 fines a couple of weeks ago to two of the track's top drivers.

Drivers are not allowed to chat while on the track. Aaron Merriman and Ronnie Wrenn Jr., good friends off the track and two of the top drivers in the country, were cited for too much conversation before a race.

"I thought the three-day suspension was a little harsh, and I appealed," said Merriman, who races at both Northfield Park and The Meadows in Washington, Pennsylvania. Wrenn took a three-day vacation while Merriman went on a tear, winning a batch of races. He notched a five-bagger at The Meadows Race Track and opened a nine-win lead in the national standings over East Coast star Corey Callahan, 229-220. Wrenn is third with 210.

Koch, Book reappointed: Gary G. Koch of Dublin and T. Todd Book of Hilliard were reappointed to four-year terms as commissioners of the OSRC. Koch is a long-time lobbyist while Book was served in the Ohio House from 2002-2010. He is also legislative counsel for the Ohio Bar Association.

Browns center Alex Mack and other players have said that Johnny Manziel won't have to win their trust back, which is in contrast to what Joe Thomas recenty said.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Browns Pro Bowl center Alex Mack, for one, doesn't need Johnny Manziel to win his trust back.

"I don't think so,'' Mack told Sirius XM NFL Radio Wednesday. "I think he just needs to work hard and anyone just wants to see you play well. The best thing you can do for a teammate is play well. You show up and you're on top of your stuff and you're doing the right thing, everyone's going to be happy.''

Mack was responding to comments made by Browns left tackle Joe Thomas, who told ESPN Cleveland last week that Manziel would have more work to do when he gets out of rehab than just learning the new offense.

"You know, I think he lost probably a lot of trust among the guys on the team last year by the way he handled himself once he became the starter,'' Thomas said. "And I think he had a lot of time to reflect, I'm guessing, after the season was over by the comments he made in the media and by his actions, checking himself into rehab ... I think those were really positive steps.''

Both Mack and former Browns cornerback Buster Skrine told Sirius XM NFL Radio that Manziel hadn't lost their trust last season. What's more, Mack said he still believes Manziel can be the long-term answer at quarterback for the Browns.

"I think he can,'' Mack said. "He'll tell you himself that he didn't have a great year last year. He took steps this year -- I give a lot of credit to him -- for admitting he has problem and trying to get that fixed. He's doing the right thing. ...He'll take everything a little bit more seriously. ...Another year, you know what to expect. I think you can see some gains in your second year.

Mack said he believes Manziel will do what it takes to turn the corner this season.

"When he's been around the building he's engaging,'' Mack said. "He's been a little quiet, but by no means (will he not listen to coaches and teammates). He's a good guy.''

Mack's remarks were consistent with what Joe Haden told cleveland.com at the Super Bowl in January, that Manziel had plenty of supporters and that he was by no means the ''100% joke'' than an anonymous teammate told espn.com he was.

"Everybody loves him,'' said Haden. "Me, Phil Taylor loves him. Travis (Benjamin) loves him. There's a lot of players on the team that do so I don't really know. You'd have to find that person who said that.''

Mack, who missed the final 11 games of last season with a broken leg, also addressed his opportunity to opt out of his five-year contract after two years after this season and become an unrestricted free agent.

"I have an opportunity but I'm not going to worry about it too much,'' he said. "My worry is about getting on the field and playing. So I'm going to worry about myself and how I can be on the field, how I can help my team and how I can be the same player I was before I broke my leg. That's kind of after-season stuff and you'll hear me several times deferring that question. I think it does put me in a good contract position, (but I'm not going to worry about 2016).''

Get live updates and analysis as cleveland.com's reporters bring you the latest on the game between the Cavs and Bucks.

MILWAUKEE -- The Cleveland Cavaliers will attempt to lock up the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference on Wednesday night in Milwaukee.

Get live updates and analysis as cleveland.com's reporters bring you the latest on the game in the comments section below.

Make sure you're following Chris Fedor, Chris Haynes and Joe Vardon on Twitter.

Game 78: Cavs (50-27) vs. Bucks (38-39)

Tip off: 8 p.m. at BMO Harris Bradley Center

TV/radio: Fox Sports Ohio; WTAM AM/1100, WMMS 100.7 FM

Cavs probable starting lineup: Kyrie Irving, J.R. Smith, LeBron James, Kevin Love and Timofey Mozgov.

Bucks probable starting lineup: Michael Carter-Williams, Khris Middleton, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Ersan Ilyasova and Zaza Pachulia.

FREQUENTLY REFRESH this page to get the latest updates. If you're viewing this on a mobile app, click here to get updates and comment.

Get scoring updates and analysis as the Indians take on the Astros at Minute Maid Park and chat with cleveland.com's Zack Meisel in the comments section.

HOUSTON, Texas -- Get scoring updates and analysis as the Indians take on the Astros at Minute Maid Park and chat with cleveland.com's Zack Meisel in the comments section.

Game 2: Indians (0-1) vs. Astros (1-0)

First pitch: 8:10 p.m. at Minute Maid Park

TV/radio: STO; WTAM AM/1100, WMMS 100.7

Michael Brantley has been scratched from Wednesday's starting lineup because of lower back stiffness.

HOUSTON -- Michael Brantley has been scratched from Wednesday's starting lineup because of lower back stiffness.

Brantley was sidelined for a handful of days during spring training with the same ailment. He played in Monday's season opener against the Astros.

Mike Aviles will start in left field in Brantley's place. Jose Ramirez, who was hitting ninth, will bat second. Jason Kipnis, who was hitting second, will bat third.

Brantley is listed as day-to-day. After Wednesday's affair, the Indians and Astros reconvene at Minute Maid Park on Thursday afternoon before the Tribe heads home to host Detroit on Friday.

Indians new lineup

1. CF Michael Bourn

2. SS Jose Ramirez

3. 2B Jason Kipnis

4. 1B Carlos Santana

5. RF Brandon Moss

6. C Yan Gomes

7. DH David Murphy

8. 3B Lonnie Chisenhall

9. LF Mike Aviles

Lake County Captains rotation starts out with veterans Dace Kime and Anderson Polanco, followed by first-round draft pick Justus Sheffield. Here's a breakdown of each Captains starting pitcher. Watch video

EASTLAKE, Ohio - Dace Kime didn't win his first game as a pro until June 13 last year, and that came a year after he was drafted. Anderson Polanco spent most of last season in the Lake County Captains bullpen, then thrived as a starter. Indians first-round draft pick Justus Sheffield still was in high school a year ago.

They are a mixed bag of potential and development in progress, and they are three fifths of the Lake County Captains' pitching rotation. The Indians Class A farm team begins its Midwest League season Friday in Lansing (Mich.), where it will play three games in less than 24 hours, then scoot back for its home opener Sunday at 4 p.m.

Three of the five main starters are left-handers, and four of the seven pitchers who will throw starter innings are lefties.

Kime will start the opener. Anderson Polanco and Sheffield will start a double-header Saturday. Thomas Pannone will be inserted into the rotation for Sunday's game, with Jordan Milbrath and Sean Brady scheduled to start Monday and Tuesday, respectively.

For the first few months of the season, Pannone and right-hander Julian Merryweather will piggy-back starts with Sheffield and Brady, respectively. Sheffield and Brady will start those games and Pannone and Merryweather will follow them and pitch long relief.

Because of the doubleheader Saturday, Pannone is being inserted into the rotation Sunday.

Here's a quick breakdown of each starting pitcher, with comments from Captains pitching coach and former Indians pitcher Steve Karsay:

Dace Kime

Throws: Right. Age: 23. Height, weight: 6-4, 200. Hometown: Defiance, Ohio. College: Louisville. Acquired: Third round, 2013.

2014 stats (Lake County): 7-14, 5.22 ERA, 132 strikeouts, 72 walks.

Notable: Originally was drafted in the eighth round in 2010 out of Defiance High School, but went to the University of Louisville, instead. Primarily a reliever in college, led Louisville to the 2013 College World Series. He was drafted by the Indians in the third round and signed for $525,000. Kime started last season 0-9 and didn't register his first professional win until June 13. Command of his low-90s fastball and his 12-6 curveball vastly improved in the second half and that was one of the reasons Lake County advanced to the Midwest League championship series.

Karsay: "He's really worked on staying connected on his backside and using his lower half a little better and create a better pace and tempo within his delivery.''

Anderson Polanco

Throws: Left. Age: 22. Height, weight: 6-3, 190. Hometown: Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Acquired: Non-drafted free agent, 2011.

Notable: Spent most of last year in the Captains bullpen. He was 1-0 with a 1.46 ERA in five starts at the end of the season with 29 strikeouts and six walks in 24 innings.

2014 stats (Lake County): 3-0, 1.95 ERA, 62 strikeouts, 17 walks.

Karsay: "He's really solidified his delivery a lot better. He's locating his fastball a lot better and his curveball got sharper. He's always had an outstanding changeup, and that plays better because he's able to locate his fastball and mix in his curveball for strikes. (Fastball) is 90-92. He's not going to overpower guys.''

Justus Sheffield

Throws: Left. Age: 18. Height, weight: 5-10, 196. Hometown: Tullahoma, Tenn. Acquired: First round, 2014.

Notable: Drafted 31^st overall with a compensation pick and he received a $1.6 million signing bonus. Had a scholarship to Vanderbilt, where his brother, Jordan, is a right-handed pitcher. MLB.com rates his curveball as the best in the Indians' farm system. No relation to former MLB slugger Gary Sheffield.

2014 stats (Arizona Rookie League): 3-1, 4.87 ERA, 29 strikeouts, nine walks.

Karsay: "He's a mature 19-year-old. He's got good aptitude. He's one who has a real good feel of his pitch mix. There's a lot of delivery stuff he's trying to smooth out. He's able to leverage the ball to the bottom of the zone. He's going to have to be able to pitch down. Sometimes he tries to overpower guys with his stuff, and that's when he gets into trouble.''

Jordan Milbrath

Throws: Right. Age: 23. Height, weight: 6-6, 215. Hometown: Sioux Falls, S.D. College: Augustana (S.D.). Acquired: 35^th round, 2013.

Notable: Hard-luck pitcher who started 1-6 last year with almost no run support, but had a 2.92 ERA at the time and was named to the Midwest League All-Star team in June.

2014 stats (Lake County): 3-12, 3.95 ERA, 77 strikeouts, 49 walks.

Karsay: "He pitches a lot up in the zone, but when he gets down in the zone and leverages his stuff, he's really tough. His stuff is that good. He can top out at 95 and pitch at 93. He's got to work his secondary stuff off his fastball. The key to him is keeping his fastball down, and his pitch count down. He throws a short slider and changeup, and a breaking ball that has come a long way.''

Sean Brady

Throws: Left: Age: 20. Height, weight: 6-0, 175. Hometown: Cape Coral., Fla. Acquired: Fifth round, 2013

Notable: He received the largest fifth-round bonus ($800,000) in 2013, which was more than double the slotted amount that year for his position in the draft. He was a University of Florida commit and some reports said he dropped in the draft because of a high bonus demand.

2014 stats (Mahoning Valley, Lake County): 2-5, 3.98 ERA, 46 strikeouts, 29 walks.

Karsay: "He's a young guy for this level, but was a mature high school guy when we drafted him. His height works a little bit against him, so he has to stay within his delivery and not try to overpower guys. He has a good mix with his breaking ball. He has to harness throwing his breaking ball behind in the count.''

The Cleveland Cavaliers will be full-go against the Milwaukee Bucks Wednesday night, according to head coach David Blatt.

MILWAUKEE -- The Cleveland Cavaliers will be full-go against the Milwaukee Bucks tonight, according to head coach David Blatt.

"No plans on resting anyone. We'll seek out our opportunities to give guys a little bit of rest, but we will not be looking to shut down here in the last five games of the season," Blatt said before Wednesday morning's shootaround at the Bradley Center.

"We need to keep guys in rhythm, we need to keep guys game-sharp. If there's the opportunity to rest somebody we will, but that's not the first priority right now. Our first priority is to keep playing good basketball, to keep ourselves sharp, to stay ready and to get ourselves in the kind of rhythm we're going to need going into the playoffs."

Balancing rest and rhythm is the trickiest challenge for the Cavaliers in the home stretch, but LeBron James has a specific routine and would like it to continue. 

"I've always liked to take one or two games off before the postseason," James said. "Then use the time off to get my body back into even more of a good form. Tonight I'm active and ready to go."

The Cavs are one win away from locking up the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference and their fourth Central Division title. It could happen in Milwaukee with a win or in Orlando, where a Chicago loss Wednesday against the Magic would also solidify Cleveland's spot.

"Throughout the process obviously you have a long-term goal," James said. "My goal is to win a championship but throughout that process when accomplishments happen and goals throughout that process happen you don't take those moments for granted because it's not a guarantee that you can win a division title or put up a banner in your building. You do not take it for granted because it doesn't come every single season."

Wednesday's game against Milwaukee marks the final regular season meeting between the two teams. The Bucks (38-39) are sixth in the East race and trying to fend off the hard-charging Brooklyn Nets, who have won eight of their last 10. A number of things could alter the playoff standings in the final week, but there's a chance the Cavs and Bucks meet again soon.

"I think specific playoff adjustments we'll make before the games themselves," Blatt said when asked if he would hold anything back Wednesday. "We're not looking to do a lot new today. If we do run into them down the line we will be ready for the adjustments we have to make."

After the game in Milwaukee on Wednesday, the Cavaliers will face Boston, the eighth seed in the East, Detroit and fifth-place Washington. The only non-playoff team of the group is the Pistons and Blatt believes the schedule will help.

"The fact that the teams we're playing are playoff teams with a lot to play for is going to force us to continue to try and bring our 'A' game, which in my opinion is the best way to prepare for the playoffs at this point in time," Blatt said.

Watch today's Sports Insider. Joe Vardon, Tom Reed and Paul Hoynes were guests. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Thursday means another edition of Sports Insider, cleveland.com's weekly show talking all things Cleveland sports. Bud Shaw and I were joined by Joe Vardon, Tom Reed and Paul Hoynes. Chris Fedor was stuck on a bus somewhere between Milwaukee and Chicago.

They can't fly me home from Milwaukee so instead they are shuttling me and the other passengers on a non-heated bus to Chicago. Sweet.

-- Chris Fedor (@ChrisFedor) April 9, 2015

Vardon talked NBA playoffs and possible first and second round matchups. Reed broke down his mock draft. Hoynes called in from Houston to talk about the start to the the Indians' season.

Catch the show live next Thursday at noon at cleveland.com/sports.

Utility man Mike Aviles found out that he was playing Wednesday night about 45 minutes before the game. He went 2-for-3 with a home run in the Indians' 2-0 victory over Houston.

HOUSTON -- Mike Aviles is the Indians' fire extinguisher encased in glass hanging on the wall with the words "break only in case of emergency' on it.

Manager Terry Francona has no problem breaking that glass. He did it Wednesday night in the second game of the season. Michael Brantley's back flared at the ballpark and Francona told Aviles during batting practice "Hey, you're in there."

Brantley was scratched and Aviles, who plays just about anywhere, took over in left field against Houston. Hitting in the ninth spot, Aviles went 2-for-3 with a homer in the 2-0 victory.

"I'm used to finding out on short notice," said Aviles. "I try to be prepared every day whether I'm in there or not. It doesn't really bother me when I find out. I mean, I've found out later."

On April 20, 2013, shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera injured his left wrist when he tripped down the dugout steps at Minute Maid Park about 10 minutes before the first pitch. Cabrera tried to play, but after two-at bats he left the game. That's when the glass case was broken.

"I'd just got done working out," said Aviles. "I'd taken my shower and was just getting dressed when Cabbie came out of the game. Hey, there's nothing you can do about that.

 

"It's just one of those things where you're always mentally and physical prepared to play so nothing catches you by surprise."

Aviles went 2-for-4 with a RBI that night.

"He's always ready," said Francona. "You can put him in a game, a half hour or 45 minutes before a game, and he really doesn't skip a beat."

Home sweet home: Until David Murphy signed with the Indians before the 2014 season, left field was his best position. In Cleveland, he had to move to right because Michael Brantley was in left and Michael Bourn in center.

But Thursday afternoon Murphy was back in left with Brantley sidelined for a second straight game with back tightness. It was just his third start in left since signing with the Indians.

"Left field has always been like a second home to me," said Murphy. "Most of my time in Texas, I played left field. I think going from left to right was a challenge for me after playing so much left.

"But I feel like I haven't forgotten how to play left, especially here, where left field is so small. I'm going to step back out there and feel right at home."

Feel the heat? First there was last year's Cy Young-winning season. Then came a five-year, $38.5 million extension on Sunday.

So how has Corey Kluber handled the heat of expectations?

In the season opener, he took a no-hitter into the sixth inning. He lost the game, 2-0, but a pitcher isn't going to win many games if his teammates don't score.

"I have complete confidence in Corey and how he'll handle it," said GM Chris Antonetti on Sunday when the extension was announced. "He's about as consistent as you can be ... consistent in his routines and approach. He doesn't let other things get him out of sorts.

"He just goes about his business in preparing for his starts. Reflecting back on spring training, we started these negotiations in February and he pitched all spring while we were talking about a contract.

"At no point did Corey give any indication that he was thinking about anything else while was on the mound except focusing on his pitching."

Swing and miss: Carlos Carrasco became the sixth Indians pitcher since 2001 to strike out 10 or more batters in a regular-season start in March or April on Wednesday night. He struck out 10 Astros in 6 1/3 innings.

Bartolo Colon, CC Sabathia (twice), Justin Masterson, Danny Salazar and Kluber are the others.

Finally: Kluber will receive his Cy Young Award from 2014 on the field before Friday's home opener against the Tigers. ... The Indians have issued about 350 media credentials for Friday's game. ... Carlos Santana's game-winning homer Wednesday night was the 99^th of his career. It was also the third he's hit on his birthday. Santana turned 29 Wednesday.