Indians manager Manny Acta says Michael Brantley will get his opportunity to show he belongs in the big leagues.
BOSTON, Mass. -- This is a daily briefing of the Indians 2010 regular season. The Indians play the Red Sox tonight in the third game of a four-game series at Fenway Park.
Fenway Park's dimensions: Left field line 310 feet, left field power alley 379 feet, center field corner 420, right center field power alley 380, right field line 302. Height of the Green Monster (left field wall), 37 feet.
Pre-game notes:
Game 108: Manny Acta said he anticipates that outfielder Michael Brantley will be recalled from Class AAA Columbus on Friday when the Indians start a nine-game homestand against the Twins, Orioles and Mariners.
The Indians acquired Brantley from Milwaukee in the 2008 trade for CC Sabathia. Matt LaPorta, the other key player acquired in the deal, has been installed at first base.
Acta believes when Brantley rejoins the club it will be easier for him to have a more consistent lineup.
"Once Michael comes in, we'll be able to rotate Shelley Duncan and Trevor Crowe in left field and Duncan and Jordan Brown at DH until Travis Hafner comes back," said Acta. "It will be tough to find any consistency (in the lineup) because we still have to try find out about third base and continue to work Luis Valbuena at second and third."
If Brantley does get called up, it will be his third tour with the Tribe this season. He was optioned to Columbus on July 27 when Josh Tomlin was added to the rotation to replace injured Aaron Laffey. Acta made it clear that Brantley would be recalled at the as quickly as possible, but he had to stay in the minors at least 10 days.
Brantley is hitting .319 (84-for-263) with 51 runs, 12 doubles, two triples, four doubles and 28 RBI in 65 games for the Clippers. He has struggled with the Indians, batting .157 (16-for-102) with two doubles, one homer and seven RBI.
Acta will put Brantley in the leadoff spot and start him in center field.
"We feel Michael has done just about everything he can do in minor league baseball," said Acta. "The last time he went down, it was just a matter of us having too many outfielders up here.
"When he gets back, he's going to have his opportunity here. We love the guy. We really think he's going to be a good player for us. He's going to have his chance."
No word: The Indians gave no updates on how they will treat catcher Carlos Santana's injured left knee. Lonnie Soloff, head athletic trainer, said they are consulting with doctors to find out what the proper treatment will be. Surgery remains an option.
All's quiet: No word from the commissioner's office on whether any Indians will be fined or suspended from Tuesday's bench-clearing incident in the eighth inning. Reliever Jensen Lewis and third base coach Steve Smith were ejected.
"It was my first career ejection," said Lewis.
In the minors: Class A Lake County outfielder Delvi Cid leads minor league baseball with 56 steals in 68 chances.
He gone: The Rockies claimed first baseman Wes Hodges on waivers from the Indians and optioned him to Class AAA Colorado Springs. Hodges was taken off the Indians 40-man roster to clear space for Tomlin.
Lineups:
Indians (45-62): 2B Jason Donald (R), SS Asdrubal Cabrera, RF Shin-Soo Choo (L), LF Shelley Duncan (R), 1B Matt LaPorta (R), DH Jayson Nix (R), 3B Andy Marte (R), CF Trevor Crowe (S), C Lou Marson and RHP Justin Masterson (3-10, 5.55).
Red Sox (61-46): CF Jacoby Ellsbury (L), SS Marco Scutaro (R), DH David Ortiz, 1B Victor Martinez (S), J.D. Drew (L), 3B Adrian Beltran (R), LF Ryan Kalish (L), 2B Jed Lowrie (S), C Kevin Cash and LHP Jon Lester (11-6, 3.05).
Lineup notes: Boston activated Ellsbury before the game. Donald hitting leadoff for the Tribe because Crowe is struggling from the right side and Boston is facing Lester. Nix DHing to get another right-handed hitter in the lineup against Lester.
Umpires: H Jim Reynolds, 1B Bill Welke, 2B Mike DiMuro, 3B Tim Welke. Tim Welke, crew chief.
Quote of the day: "Baseball is a red-blooded sport for red-blooded men. It's no pink tea, and mollycoddles had better stay out. It's a struggle for supremacy, a survival of the fittest," Hall of Famer Ty Cobb from the Baseball Almanac.
Next: RHP Josh Tomlin (2-0, 1.50) vs. RHP Daisuke Matsuzaka (7-3, 4.22) Thursday at 7:10 p.m.