Center fielder Michael Brantley says he learned a lot at Class AAA Columbus. Now he has to put it to use for the Indians in the big leagues.
Indians first baseman Matt LaPorta tries to clear the cobwebs after being knocked flat by a collision with Texas' Elvis Andrus in the third inning Monday night. LaPorta, who had homered in the top of the third, was removed from the game an inning later with a contusion to his head.INDIANS CHATTER
Clubhouse confidential: With former Arizona GM Josh Byrnes fired last week, could he land with the Indians when they reshuffle their front office? Chris Antonetti will replace Mark Shapiro as general manager at the end of this season as Shapiro becomes team president.
Byrnes, still under contract to the Diamondbacks, began his front-office career in 1994 with the Indians. He left in the fall of 1999 to join the Rockies, but Indians executives still think highly of him.
Depending on how Antonetti forms his new front office, he could use another assistant GM to fill his old job. Mike Chernoff, the Indians’ director of baseball operations, is in line for a promotion as well.
Unlikely: The Rangers, leading the AL West, are looking for starting pitching. One of the obvious targets is Fausto Carmona, but Texas GM Jon Daniels told reporters Monday that the Indians have Carmona signed to a favorable contract and are reluctant to trade him.
Stat of the day: The Indians entered Monday’s game hitting .338 (23-for-68) with the bases loaded, including three grand slams.
— Paul Hoynes
ARLINGTON, Texas -- It's too early to say mission accomplished, but Michael Brantley feels he did a lot of good things in the 59 games he spent at Class AAA Columbus before getting recalled Sunday following Shin-Soo Choo's right thumb injury.
"The work that I put in down there paid off," said Brantley.
Playing mostly center field at Columbus, Brantley hit .315 (76-for-241) with 47 runs, nine doubles, two triples, three homers and 26 RBI. He stole 11 bases in 16 attempts and drew 29 walks compared to 27 strikeouts.
The Indians wanted Brantley to work on was driving the ball more.
"The last two weeks were phenomenal," said Brantley, regarding his ability to reach the gaps. "I did a lot of work in the cage and came to the park every day with a clear head."
Brantley, who lifts his front foot at the plate as a timing device, worked on getting it down on the ground faster.
"I wanted to get down a little earlier than I was so I could use my legs more and rotate through the ball," he said. "It allowed me to see the ball coming, recognizing what pitch was coming and get a better swing all the way through the ball.
"I also moved my hands away from my body. That produced a little more power."
Last year, Brantley stole 46 bases in 51 attempts for Columbus to lead the International League. He started this season with the Indians, but didn't steal a base in nine games before getting optioned to Columbus.
The Indians wanted to see him use his speed more at Columbus. While he may have caught the IL by surprise last year, the opposition was ready for him this time around.
"I went down there and base-running was absolutely tough," said Brantley. "Guys were [throwing] over three or four times. They were slide stepping. They had a good idea of what I like to do and how I like to run.
"Basically, they threw some new stuff at me. I was excited. I learned from it. I did a good job stealing bases last year, but they made it a little tougher for me this time around. It was a good challenge."
The Indians' outfield has been redrawn since opening day. Center fielder Grady Sizemore is out for the season following microfracture surgery on his right knee. Choo will miss six to eight weeks with his sprained right thumb. It could be season-ending if Dr. Thomas Graham, who will examine Choo Tuesday, decides surgery is needed.
Manager Manny Acta said Brantley will be playing center and leading off almost every day in the new outfield. Austin Kearns will be in right, Trevor Crowe in left and Shelley Duncan coming off the bench.
"Getting an extended shot would be nice," said Brantley. "Hopefully, that's what I'm here to do. If not, that's their call, too. I'll be ready to play when they want me to play."
Eyes have it: Atlanta had a scout at Monday night's game. They had a scout in Cleveland during the Indians last home stand.
The Braves, atop the closely-bunched NL East, are reportedly looking for a right-handed hitter.
Name to remember: One day this season, Carlos Carrasco is going to be in the rotation.
"The plan is in place for Carrasco to come up at some point," said Acta. "When he does, he'll start."
Carrasco, who started for Class AAA Columbus Monday night, is 7-3 with a 4.22 ERA in 15 starts. He has 79 strikeouts and 34 walks in 91 2/3 innings. The opposition is hitting .267 against him and he has a WHIP of 1.37.
"Right now we're concentrating on the five starters we have here," said Acta. "And those guys [in Columbus] are working on what they have to work on. When the time comes to make a decision, Carrasco is going to get his shot ... no matter what."
Finally: The Indians are carrying six rookies. Only the Orioles and Tigers, with seven each, have more in the AL. ... The Indians have an extra-base hit in their last 31 consecutive games. It's the longest current streak in the league.