CLEVELAND: Although Indians starting pitcher Danny Salazar took the loss in Wednesday’s game, an unwanted end result, the performance was much of the same.
That is, ace-level pitching from the No. 3 spot in the starting rotation. In three starts this season, Salazar has a 1.47 ERA. He has 23 strikeouts and has given up just eight hits and nine walks in 18⅓ innings pitched.
Salazar took a major step forward last season, going 14-10 with a 3.45 ERA and 195 strikeouts in 185 innings. Coming off of that year, Indians pitching coach Mickey Callaway in the spring said he thought he, Corey Kluber and Carlos Carrasco could all contend for the Cy Young Award.
The Indians watched as he began to put things together last season. It appears as though he’s building off that so far in 2016.
“As with a lot of young players, he’s learning as he goes,” Indians manager Terry Francona said. “I think guys, sometimes, they think they’re working but they don’t realize they have another gear. As they get older, they realize what they can do. And I think the consistency in his routine has really given him something to fall back on.”
Callaway pointed out in the spring that it isn’t just having great stuff, which Salazar does, highlighted by an electric fastball and developing split-change. It’s also working his way through 5-6 innings on days in which he doesn’t have his best stuff. After a poor outing in spring training, the Indians wanted to point out to Salazar that he is in Kluber’s group. He’s responded well.
“When you start backing them up, talking about consistency, that’s a good feeling,” Francona said Wednesday night. “I don’t see any reason why that should change. He’s working hard, his routines are good, he’s going to be OK.”
Center option
In Lonnie Chisenhall’s last rehab appearance, the Indians put him in center field to see how he’d handle it. The team wanted to do it in the spring but never got the chance after a couple of injuries sent him to the disabled list.
Chisenhall took to right field very well last year. Being able to play center field would just add to his versatility.
“Looking at Lonnie’s skill-set, he should be able to play center field,” Francona said. “And by everybody’s scouting report, he did fine. You just never know. It’s almost like every time you have a backup player on the bench, you want to make sure he can play shortstop. Having another guy that can play center field, whether we pinch hit, it may allow us to pinch hit more often or make a move.”
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