CLEVELAND: The Indians received some good news from the league regarding catcher Roberto Perez on Monday, who will be ready to go when the Indians begin their 2016 season on Tuesday against the Boston Red Sox after Monday’s game was postponed.
Perez took two foul tips to the mask in Saturday’s spring training game against the Texas Rangers. The first one, he said, was hard, but the second one was what really got him. He then started showing concussion symptoms Saturday night.
“I felt weird,” Perez said. “I always have a lot of energy. When I came to the dugout, I wasn’t feeling right. I wasn’t feeling myself. I was glad that they took me out of the game and nothing serious happened.”
Perez said he didn’t have any further symptoms on Sunday and felt good on Monday. The Indians put Perez through a series of drills and tests on Monday and then submitted the results to the league. Perez was then cleared by the league to play.
“Everything went really well,” Indians manager Terry Francona said. “He went out and threw, ran, did everything, probably more than he would today. The doctors had a look at him, evaluated him, and gave him a clean bill of health.”
Francona added that he likes the process the league has in place for these types of instances. Thus, the Indians went strictly by the book.
“It’s a good rule,” Francona said. “If somebody has a sprained ankle, if you hurt your ankle worse, you hurt your ankle worse. If you start messing around with somebody’s brain, you’re asking for trouble down the road.
“So I think it’s a really good rule and I understand why you have to go through the process to get a guy back and clear him.”
The Indians were waiting to make a final roster move as Monday’s game was postponed. Since Perez is ready, the Indians set their Opening Day roster by officially placing relief pitcher Tommy Hunter (core muscle surgery) on the disabled list and purchasing the contract of relief pitcher Joba Chamberlain. To make room on the 40-man roster for Chamberlain, who came to camp as a nonroster invitee, the Indians also designated outfielder James Ramsey for assignment.
Ramsey was the lone return from the St. Louis Cardinals in exchange for starting pitcher Justin Masterson. Last season, Ramsey hit .243 with a .327 on-base percentage, 12 home runs, 21 doubles and had 42 RBI in 126 games at Triple-A Columbus.
Bauer speaks
Starting pitcher Trevor Bauer spoke with the media for the first time since being relegated to the bullpen to start the season, though he didn’t have much to say.
Bauer responded to several questions with the same line, saying, “As long as the team wins, it’s good.”
When asked about the message he received from the Indians when being told he’d start the year in the bullpen, Bauer said, “That’s something that stays in the clubhouse. As long as the team wins, it’s good.”
Ryan Lewis can be reached at rlewis@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the Indians blog at www.ohio.com/indians. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/RyanLewisABJ and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/RyanLewisABJ.