Indians OF/1B Nick Swisher will rest a sore shoulder for probably the next two games.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Nick Swisher was not in the lineup tonight and likely will be sidelined until Friday because of a sore left shoulder, Indians manager Terry Francona said.
Swisher is hitting .265 with two homers and nine RBI in 23 games. He is 4-for-28 in his last seven.
"His left shoulder's been nagging him a little bit,'' Francona said. "We've been playing the heck out of him.''
The Indians finish a two-game set against the Phillies on Wednesday, then have an off-day Thursday before beginning a three-game series against Minnesota.
"I wouldn't be shocked if he doesn't play (Wednesday),'' Francona said.
Francona said Swisher's shoulder issue probably is the result of having been shuttled between right field and first base. Swisher has started six games in right, 12 at first and five as designated hitter. Part of the reason Swisher has played two positions is injuries to teammates. Francona also needed to work in designated hitter Jason Giambi.
Francona said he hesitated at times to move Swisher expressly because of the toll it might take on his throwing arm. Swisher is hitting .208 left-handed, .343 right-handed.
"He always did it, but, especially as his arm started hurting, it became harder for him,'' Francona said. "We'll give him a little blow and see how it does.''
They're back: The Indians-Phillies series meant lefty Cliff Lee and manager Charlie Manuel returned to Progressive Field.
Lee (2-1, 3.03 ERA) faces right-hander Trevor Bauer, one of the Tribe's top prospects, Wednesday night. Lee never has pitched against Cleveland. His previous appearance in Progressive Field was July 16, 2009.
"It's going to be interesting, it's going to be neat, but I'm going to try not to get caught up in it,'' Lee said Tuesday afternoon.
The Indians acquired Lee, then a high-end pitching prospect, from the Montreal Expos in the Bartolo Colon trade in July 2002. Brandon Phillips, Grady Sizemore and Lee Stevens also came to Cleveland.
Lee made his major-league debut in September of that season, starting two games. He became a full-time starter in 2004, going 14-8 with a 5.43 ERA. In 2005, he was 18-5 with a 3.79 ERA.
After a decent year in 2006 (14-11, 4.40), Lee struggled with injuries in 2007 and was excluded from the postseason roster. He rebounded in a grand way in 2008, posting a 22-3 record and 2.54 ERA and giving the club consecutive AL Cy Young Award winners.
But just as CC Sabathia had done in 2007, Lee priced himself out of the Tribe's budget. The Indians traded Lee, along with Ben Francisco, to the Phillies at the deadline in 2009. The Indians received Jason Knapp, Carlos Carrasco, Lou Marson and Jason Donald.
"I'd seen what they did the year before, when they traded Casey Blake and CC and some other guys,'' Lee said. "It's definitely a business. Nothing personal, just straight business.''
Lee's career numbers with Cleveland: 182 games, 178 starts, 83 victories, 48 defeats, 4.01 ERA.
"The games that I remember are the ones I didn’t get a chance to pitch in, the postseason when I had to sit there and watch when we were up, 3-1, against the Red Sox (in the 2007 ALCS),'' Lee said. "I would have liked to have had one shot in those games. I didn’t, and we lost them all. I’m not saying I would have won one or whatever, but I definitely look back and believe that was some motivation for me, knowing that it went down that way. It was kind of motivation for me to turn it around, and fortunately I did.''
Since leaving the Indians, Lee has been traded from Philadelphia to Seattle (December 2009) and from Seattle to Texas (July 2010). He became a free agent in November 2010 and signed with the Phillies that offseason.
According to baseball-reference.com, Lee's salary from 2003-06 ranged from $300,900-$406,200. This season, Lee is earning $25 million.
In his major-league career, Lee is 127-79 with a 3.58 ERA in the regular season and 7-3 with a 2.52 ERA in the postseason. He has pitched in the World Series with Philadelphia in 2009 (lost to Yankees) and with Texas in 2010 (lost to San Francisco).
Manuel's first managerial job in the majors came with the Indians in 2000. He guided the Tribe to a 90-72 record. The next year, the Indians went 91-71 and made the playoffs. They lost to Seattle in a division series.
The Tribe was 39-47 in 2002 when Manuel wanted to know his status beyond the season. General Manager Mark Shapiro refused to commit. Just like that, Manuel was gone. Manuel always has insisted he did not quit. He and Shapiro long ago patched whatever differences they had. They chatted behind the batting cage Tuesday afternoon.
Manuel resumed managing in 2005 with the Phillies. He guided them to World Series appearances in 2008 and 2009, the former resulting in a championship.
"I enjoyed Cleveland when I was here, and I've missed it,'' he said. "At the same time, I've liked Philadelphia and enjoyed that. It's been really good for me, too.''
Manuel, 69, is in the final year of his contract with the Phillies. He has said he wants to continue to manage.
Finally: The Phillies on Tuesday activated Delmon Young and designated former Indian Ezequiel Carrera.