GOODYEAR, Ariz: The Indians on Monday announced that outfielder Lonnie Chisenhall will open the 2016 season on the disabled list, outfielders Marlon Byrd and Collin Cowgill will be on the Opening Day roster and relief pitcher Dan Otero has made the club and will act as the seventh member in the bullpen.
Chisenhall is being placed on the disabled list with a left wrist impingement. According to Indians manager Terry Francona, the injury might have come about while Chisenhall dealt with a right forearm issue and tried to overcompensate in order to get ready for the season.
“What happened with Lonnie is I think, through trying to play catch-up, his [left] wrist has kind of gotten aggravated,” Francona said. “We talked to him this morning and it’s just like, trying to play catch-up, I’m not sure that’s the smart thing to do.”
The Indians will see a heavy dose of left-handed starting pitching when they open the season against the Boston Red Sox and then the Chicago White Sox, so if there was a stretch in which Chisenhall could afford to sit, it’s early.
“We’re going to see a bunch of left-handers early and we just think if we DL him today, we can backdate it starting today and he would be able to come off the day we go to Tampa [April 12], and we’ll be able to get him more like Lonnie. I think he understands and I think he agrees.”
Byrd and Cowgill join Rajai Davis and Tyler Naquin as outfielders available for Opening Day, with Chisenhall and Michael Brantley both expected to miss time.
The Indians originally said the club would open the season with five outfielders and seven relief pitchers, though Chisenhall’s DL stint could change things. The Indians could opt to have Jose Ramirez act as the fifth outfielder, as they’ve been encouraged by his play in the outfield this spring.
Otero joins Cody Allen, Bryan Shaw, Jeff Manship, Zach McAllister, Joba Chamberlain and Ross Detwiler in the bullpen.
The club also optioned left-handed relief pitcher Kyle Crockett to Triple-A Columbus and informed outfielder Robbie Grossman that he wouldn’t be making the team. Relief pitcher Tom Gorzelanny, who was told a few days ago he wouldn’t make the team as a nonroster invitee, informed the organization he’d return to major league camp on Tuesday prior to his season-opening assignment. Gorzelanny will receive a $100,000 retention bonus that includes a June 1 opt-out.
The only question remaining now is the 25th man on the active roster. It’s possible Cody Anderson and Josh Tomlin both break camp with the club, giving the Indians 13 pitchers.
Tomlin has previous experience in the bullpen, and Anderson could later be optioned to Triple-A Columbus.
The Indians will also have to make at least three corresponding moves on the 40-man roster, as Byrd, Chamberlain and Detwiler are all nonroster invitees. There will be plenty of action between the active roster and the disabled list early in the season with Chisenhall, Brantley (shoulder surgery) and relief pitcher Tommy Hunter (core muscle surgery) all expected to miss time.
Ryan Lewis can be reached at rlewis@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the Indians blog at www.ohio.com/indians. Follow him on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/RyanLewisABJ.