P.M. Cleveland Indians links: Salute, Pvt. Choo?

It's possible that Shin-Soo Choo's injured thumb will be raised in salute to a Korean officer.

The injury to Indians outfielder Shin-Soo Choo that has landed him on the disabled list could also land him in a different uniform -- a South Korean Army uniform.

The Korea Times reported in today's editions that Choo, who sprained his right thumb diving for a ball Friday night, could end up losing his military exemption because of the injury.

While the absence of the sole Korean Major Leaguer, who may undergo surgery, is a critical blow to the Indians, the injury might also affect Choo's future career in a different way as it could deprive the outfielder of a chance to be exempted from army service back in Korea.

. . . It is not only the Indians who are worried about Choo. Across the ocean, the Korean national baseball team, which is hoping for gold in the Asian Games in November, is keeping an eye on the situation.

The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) previously included the slugger on the preliminary 60-man roster in May. Choo is expected to recover before mid-September, when the final 22-man roster will be confirmed.

. . . For Choo, playing at the Asian Games is critically important as it is the only chance for him to get an exemption from the 2-year military service.

According to related regulations, members of a national baseball team can complete their military service with only a 4-week basic training if the team wins a gold medal at the Asian Games, or any medal at the Olympics.

Choo missed his chance previously, when the MLB refused to allow him to play at the Beijing Olympics in 2008. He was not included in the roster for the 2006 Asian Games, but South Korea ended with a bronze medal with consecutive losses to Taiwan and Japan.

Choo is by far the Indians best offensive player, with a .286 average and tops on the club in both homers (13) and RBI (43). Right now, he's expected to be out for six to eight weeks. Try to imagine the Tribe without him for two years.

Not a happy thought, is it?

Deep in the heart of Texas
It's going to be up to Aaron Laffey to rally the Tribe in Arlington, Texas, tonight. The Indians are coming off a 3-0 loss to the Athletics at Progressive Field Sunday night. Those are the same Athletics who are trailing the first-place Rangers by eight games in the AL West.

CBSsports.com offered a look ahead at tonight's game:

With the offense struggling, more pressure will fall Monday on Indians starter Aaron Laffey (1-2, 5.55 ERA).Laffey was solid against Toronto on Wednesday in his second start since being recalled from the minors, allowing one run in six innings of a 3-1 victory - his first since Aug. 16.

"Aaron made good pitches when he had to," manager Manny Acta told the Indians' official website. "He's not an overpowering guy, but he threw a lot of strikes."

Laffey gave up two runs and five hits in 1 2/3 innings of relief against the Rangers on April 14. He is 1-1 with an 8.40 ERA in three starts versus Texas.

. . . Texas won two of three games against Cleveland in April, and swept the Indians in three games the last time they visited Arlington, from April 6-9, 2009.

Oh, boy. This does not bode well.

From The Plain Dealer

Writer Dennis Manoloff, was there to chronicle Fausto Carmona's "first career start with 'All-Star' next to his name," and even though the Indians' righty lost 3-1 to the A's at Progressive Field Sunday night, it was a quality start.

And quality starts have been frequent for the young pitcher.

Carmona slipped to 7-7, but don't be fooled: He hardly has been average, as a 3.69 ERA attests. In 13 of 17 outings, he has worked at least six innings and given up fewer than three earned runs -- a quality start in baseball circles.

"A 7-7 record doesn't seem all that impressive," Tribe pitching coach Tim Belcher said, "but he's had four losses and three no-decisions with quality starts -- some of them very quality. He could very easily have as many as 13 wins and quite conservatively 10 or 11, but that's kind of the animal you're dealing with when you have a struggling club."

D-man's Indians Insider column also picked up on an embarrassing moment for catcher Carlos Santana and first baseman Matt LaPorta:

Indians catcher Carlos Santana and first baseman Matt LaPorta had brain cramps in the sixth inning of Sunday's 3-1 loss to the Athletics.

With two outs and a 2-1 count, Carmona got Cust to swing and miss. Santana and LaPorta, thinking it was the third strike, broke for the dugout. Santana reached the steps before he realized the inning was not over.

Cust took ball three and ball four. Mark Ellis singled, Cust advancing to third. Ellis stole second before Gabe Gross grounded out to end the threat.

Oops.