Making the case for Jose Lopez and Lou Marson to have more playing time - Tribe Comment of the Day

In response to the story Cleveland Indians roster breakdown at the All-Star break: Paul Hoynes, cleveland.com reader joedean says Lou Marson and Jose Lopez deserve more playing time. This reader writes,


"Paul, you made the case for playing Lopez and Marson more and Hafner and Santana less. Too bad we lost Chisenhall because we would not be playing Hannahan either. If Hannahan, Hafner and Santana don't hit over .260 with some power the rest of the way, we have no chance. Let Lopez play almost every day either at 3rd or DH depending on who is hitting better, Hannahan or Hafner and let Marson play a lot more unless Santana gets hot. Does not seem like rocket science when we see Lopez and Marson hitting and Hafner, Santana and Hannahan not. Make Hafner, Santana and Hannahan earn their way back into the batting order. I have not given up on Hafner, Santana or Hannahan but they have all regressed."

Hey! That Joe guy is making a lot of sense. Don't know if Acta and the organization would quite agree on making Santana earn his playing time though. Santana's been nothing but average this year while Marson was doing very well with limited playing time. I'd have to see how Santana does after the break now that he's fully rested. If he continues to falter, why not give Marson a shot?!?!

Yes.

I do agree as well.

However, I also think that if Santana doesn't pull out of his funk, this team will be severely handicapped, Marson or not.

And I think, as a result, he will get a very long leash.

I do think Hafner is a good bat vs. right handed pitchers as well. And the respect he gets when he is pitched to, helps the others who bat around him IMO. So I don't see him going anywhere.

So, in summary, like Lopez at 3B, more and more. And ALWAYS in the lineup vs. lefties (that's already the case). Liberally use Marson until Santana proves he can get back to last year's levels. And he would have to do some serious hitting to do so.

First Draft lottery to award 12 extra selections

Small-market and lowest-revenue teams in pool to win picks at end of first two rounds

By Jonathan Mayo / MLB.com | 07/17/12 10:00 AM ET

Now that Major League Baseball has gone through its first Draft and signing period under the new rules of the Collective Bargaining Agreement, it's time to move on to the next phase of the new system: the Competitive Balance Lottery.

The lottery, scheduled to take place Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. ET in New York, is a mechanism designed to help teams perceived to need the most assistance by awarding extra Draft picks to some of them. The 10 smallest-market teams and 10 lowest-revenue teams will have the chance to win one of six extra selections in the 2013 First-Year Player Draft.

Those half-dozen picks will be made at the conclusion of the first round, following the compensation selections. Because there is obvious crossover between those two groups, there are 13 teams entered into the first-round lottery: the D-backs, Orioles, Indians, Royals, A's, Pirates, Padres, Rays, Reds, Rockies, Marlins, Brewers and Cardinals. The odds of winning a Draft pick will be based on each team's winning percentage in the previous season.

There will be a second group of six picks, to be made after the conclusion of the second round. The teams from the first group that did not get one of the early picks will be re-entered, along with any other Major League team that receives revenue sharing. This year, only one team -- the Tigers -- will be added to the second lottery. The Competitive Balance Lottery winners and the order of their picks will be unveiled on MLB Network's "The Rundown" at 2:45 p.m. ET.

"[We just finished] off the first Draft with the new CBA," Pirates assistant general manager Greg Smith said. "No club, no scouting director, no scout had gone through that landscape [before]. The Competitive Balance picks will be the same thing. Clubs value Draft picks and the ability to have them, to add to them, even to trade them. As you try to acquire talent through the Draft or if you're trying to improve the big league club, then the picks become a part of that process."

Smith brought up one of the more intriguing aspects of this new process -- the picks that come out of it are commodities. For the first time in Major League history, Draft picks can be dealt. But there are a series of conditions and limitations regarding such transactions.

Only a team that wins a pick in the lottery can trade it, meaning that selection can be traded just once. It can't be sold for cash, and it may only be dealt during the season. Trading can commence the day after the lottery is held and is allowed until the end of that regular season. So seeing a lottery pick or two involved in some July 31 Trade Deadline deals is a possibility. They cannot be included in any Winter Meetings deals, however, with trading of picks again permitted at the beginning of the following regular season.

So the Pirates, or any team that might be involved in Deadline deals this month, can use a pick they receive in this lottery in their trade negotiations. How the picks are valued might vary from team to team, and trying to get a sense of their worth in an open market definitely falls under the "to be determined" category, but it does add something to the trading landscape.

"With us battling trying to stay on top, now in our efforts to improve the club, how do you factor [the picks] in? I think you do," Smith said. "It's going to be interesting because it's something that hasn't been there. There's potential for it to be a part of the overall dialogue as we get closer [to the Deadline]. It's a new twist.

"Some clubs value those differently. Some clubs might put a higher value on those types of picks than other teams, who might rather have a known player. But it adds to the intrigue."

The Pirates are one of eight teams known to be sending a representative to the Commissioner's Office for the lottery. Some of the teams are out of the race and might be more likely to hold the pick to add talent via next year's Draft. Smith admits that if the worst-case scenario is that the Pirates keep the pick for next year's Draft, there are worse situations to be in.

Indeed, the Pirates will be in good shape. They already know they'll have two first-round picks next year, one of them because they didn't sign their Stanford pitcher Mark Appel, their first-rounder this year.

"We'd be picking [No.] 9, [and] wherever we're picking based on our finish, so now we're looking at three potential picks in the top 45 or so," Smith said.

Jonathan Mayo is a reporter for MLB.com and writes a blog, B3. Follow @JonathanMayoB3 on Twitter. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Quick Hits: Indians, Red Sox, Yankees
By Ben Nicholson-Smith [July 17 at 4:25pm CST]

Indians president Mark Shapiro says the trade market is slow because of the new rules regarding draft pick compensation and the abundance of teams in contention, particularly in the American League (Twitter links). However, the Indians are "heavily engaged" in the trade market, according to Shapiro. Here are more notes from around MLB...

Indians manager Manny Acta said the team’s front office has been working aggressively to add an outfield bat or a starting pitcher, Jim Bowden of ESPN.com and MLB Network Radio reports (on Twitter).

The New Draft Pick Compensation System

By Ben Nicholson-Smith [July 17 at 3:46pm CST]

There’s been a lot of talk about the diminished trade value of prospective free agents under baseball’s new collective bargaining agreement, and rightfully so. Teams can no longer obtain draft pick compensation for players acquired midseason. Naturally, that affects the trade value of players on the cusp of free agency like Zack Greinke, Cole Hamels and Carlos Quentin.



There’s a second change to keep in mind as the trade deadline approaches, MLBTR has confirmed. Teams that keep their players now obtain one compensatory draft pick for losing a top free agent, whereas they previously obtained two selections. If a team loses a player who turned down a qualifying offer to sign elsewhere, the player's original team will obtain a single compensatory selection between the first and second rounds of the draft (the qualifying offers, which are based on the average salary of baseball’s 125 best-paid players, are expected to be worth $12.5MM or so).

Meanwhile, the team that signs the free agent will lose a first round selection (though the top ten picks are protected). However, that lost first round pick no longer goes to the player’s former team. Instead, the pick disappears and the first round becomes condensed.

For example, if the Brewers trade Greinke, his new team won’t be eligible for draft pick compensation. If the Brewers hold onto Greinke and make him a qualifying offer after the season only to see him sign elsewhere, Milwaukee will obtain a selection between the first and second rounds of the 2013 draft. The team that signs Greinke would lose its first round selection, but that selection would no longer go to the Brewers under the sport’s new rules.

Fewer players now bring in draft picks and those that do translate into one selection, rather than two. The changes will lead to to a drop in compensatory draft picks and an entirely new trade deadline dynamic.

Photo courtesy of US Presswire.

Shapiro says Tribe is heavily engaged in trade negotiations. Cannot conceive of what he may be referring to unless his boss is volunteering to take on contracts, since there is no talent available to swap for talent. Unless perhaps Seattle would once again like to donate a solid young player or two for a pretty bad first baseman. For that matter, considering that Ben Broussard and Eduardo Perez, who together equalled one everyday first baseman, netted Asdrubal and Choo, Casey Kotchman plus Jose Lopez should equal even more. Since I don't expect the Mariners consider themelves in contention at present, we would have to find another naive GM to make such a deal.

Draft lottery awards 12 teams with extra picks

Royals draw top sandwich pick; Pirates, D-backs claim next two

By Jonathan Mayo / MLB.com | 07/18/12 3:54 PM ET

SECAUCUS, N.J. --

The Royals were the biggest winner in the first Competitive Balance Lottery, held at MLB Network Studios on Wednesday afternoon.

The Royals received the first pick in the official drawing. That means Kansas City, as it stands now, will get additional pick in the 2013 First-Year Player Draft at No. 32 overall. The Pirates received the second of six "Round A" picks, with the D-backs getting the third. The Orioles, Reds and Marlins round out Round A. Representatives from many of the contending teams were on hand to watch the drawing and the results were announced on the Network.

"We are extremely excited about the extra pick and our positioning for next year," Royals assistant general manager of scouting and player development J.J. Picollo said. "We obviously were hoping to get the top lottery pick and are happy it worked to our favor. The new system has been an interesting process from the start and now that the lottery has been settled, it's been a great experience."


lottery results:

Below are the results of the Competitive Balance Lottery, which establishes the order for Comp Rounds A and B in the 2013 First-Year Player Draft.


"The system seems to be working well," D-backs scouting director Ray Montgomery said. "The talent acquisition portion is defined to allow for lower revenue [and market] teams to be more competitive long term and the Draft is the best vehicle to accomplish that. We are very excited."

The remaining teams originally in the lottery that didn't receive a pick in Round A joined the Tigers with a chance to get a pick in Round B. The Padres received the first pick in that group, slated as of now to be pick No. 70. They are followed by the Indians, Rockies, A's, Brewers and Tigers. Only the Cardinals and the Rays didn't receive any of the picks.

"Everything we do in the collective bargaining process is based on the commissioner's mandate to preserve competitive balance," said Rob Manfred, Major League Baseball's executive vice president for economics and league affairs. "This is designed to give smaller market and revenue teams access to talent."

The original 13 teams entered into the lottery were a combination of the 10 lowest revenue clubs and 10 lowest market teams. The Tigers were added to Round B because they were the lone team not in the original group that receives revenue sharing money.

The teams with selections now have some options. They can keep the pick and accrue talent during next year's Draft. Or they can include them in trades, either leading up to the July 31 Trade Deadline or at any point during the regular season before next year's Draft. It could come down to wanting to acquire players for the future or for the right now, depending on the team's situation. The Pirates and Reds, for example, are in the heat of a race with each other atop the NL Central. The Orioles, Indians, A's and Tigers are all over .500. They can now include the pick they received on Wednesday in any deal to better their 25-man roster, should they so choose.

Only a team that wins a pick in the lottery can trade it, meaning that selection can be traded just once. They cannot be included in any Winter Meetings deals, however, with trading of picks again permitted at the beginning of the following regular season.

"This is kind of an experiment," Manfred said. "We want to see by making the picks assignable if it helps teams acquire more talent."

The odds for each team receiving a pick were weighted in favor of the teams with the most losses in 2011. For each pick, four ping-pong balls were drawn from the tumbler. The combination of the four numbers - all 999 of them - were assigned to a team. The teams with the worst records from last year had the most combinations. The Orioles had the best odds of getting the top pick (12.4 percent) in Round A. The Royals, who actually got the pick, were tied with the Padres at 11.1 percent. The Pirates and Marlins had the same probability of getting the first pick, at 10.5 percent. The Reds received a Round A pick despite having just a seven percent chance of getting the first pick, but no one bucked the odds more than the Diamondbacks, who had just a 2.6 percent chance of getting pick No. 1, yet landed the third selection.

Heroes old and new help Cleveland Indians defeat Tampa Bay Rays


Updated: Wednesday, July 18, 2012, 11:41 PM


Terry Pluto, The Plain Dealer By Terry Pluto, The Plain Dealer

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — On this Wednesday night, the Tribe's Most Valuable Player (and pitcher) was Esmil Rogers in their 10-6 victory over Tampa Bay at Tropicana Field.

Bet you saw that coming, right?

Just like you knew that Carlos Santana would break a two-month slump covering 138 at-bats without a homer by blasting a screamer over the center-field wall.

Or that Jason Kipnis would come up with one of the key hits of the night, lashing a 98 mph fastball right up the middle to tie this game at 4-4 in the seventh inning.

In some ways, Kipnis ignited this comeback.

He was facing Jake McGee, a lefty with a 2.03 ERA. McGee began pumping fastballs ... 95, 96, 97 and finally 98 mph.

Kipnis kept fouling them off until he delivered the clutch single.

Michael Brantley followed with a screaming single, putting the Tribe ahead, 5-4.

Then Santana busted his this game wide open with his three-run homer, shattering that slump in the process.
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By the time the top of the seventh inning was over, the Indians had scored five runs and had an 8-4 lead.

This wasn't the Tribe's most important victory of season, but it was one of its most improbable because the Indians were in so much trouble so early.

Justin Masterson should just call in sick the next time he has to face these Tampa Bay Rays. His record against them is 1-7 with a 7.74 ERA.

Two weeks ago, Masterson was clobbered for eight earned runs in 4 1/3 innings by the Rays at Progressive Field.

Then it was four runs in 4 1/3 innings Wednesday night in the dome.

He walked seven -- a career high.

He allowed seven hits.

He permitted three stolen bases.

He threw 109 pitches, many of them painful to watch because Masterson clearly had no idea where many of them were going.

Remember, all this happened -- the 14 base runners, the three steals, etc. -- in 4 1/3 innings.

But the good news for Masterson was Rogers came out of the Tribe bullpen.

Then the Tribe took the fifth, as in the fifth inning.

Bases loaded, one out.

Rogers whiffed Elliot Johnson. He induced B.J. Upton to ground out.

Finally, another team besides the Wahoo red, white and blue comes up empty when the bases are full.

The score was Tampa, 4-3, after five innings.

Guess who should owe Mr. Rogers a nice dinner?

That's you, Mr. Masterson. Rogers saved you from a loss and even more damage to your ERA.

Rogers prevented a complete calamity in the fifth, then added a scoreless sixth inning. The man the Tribe purchased for $150,000 from Colorado has been a major asset to the bullpen and really put the Tribe in position for this victory.

There was other good news from this game besides Rogers and Santana.

Jack Hannahan had an outstanding day at third base, and also delivered a two-run, 400-foot double to center.

Asdrubal Cabrera had three hits, erasing a 2-for-29 slump that he carried into the game. He also had a strong night at shortstop.

Kipnis had two hits and two RBI.

Finally, there's Santana, who followed his homer with a stinging RBI single in the ninth, making him 2-of-4 with four RBI.

For the Indians, this was only the fourth time in 44 games where they were behind after six innings and then found a way to win.

Indians keep tabs on Hernandez's visa situation

By Jordan Bastian / MLB.com | 07/19/12 1:26 PM ET

ST. PETERSBURG --

The Indians are in the market for a starting pitcher as the July 31 Trade Deadline approaches, but the organization is also confident that it will receive one of its own arms back in the near future.

According to multiple sources, pitcher Roberto Hernandez is expected to soon be receiving a new visa from the State Department, which would allow the right-hander to return to the United States. Hernandez remains in his native Dominican Republic, where he continues to train at Cleveland's baseball academy.

"Things are moving forward," said a person with knowledge of the situation. "It's looking a lot better right now."

Hernandez was arrested on Jan. 19 in the Dominican Republic for using the false name Fausto Carmona. The pitcher -- originally signed by Cleveland as a non-drafted free agent in 2000 -- has gone 53-66 with a 4.59 ERA over six seasons with the Tribe.

Indians general manager Chris Antonetti has been in contact with Stephen Payne, a visa expert and lobbyist hired by Hernandez's representatives, throughout the ongoing process. Ohio Senators Sherrod Brown and Rob Portman have also been involved in the case.

"We've done everything we can," Antonetti said last month. "We've petitioned to the State Department and have given them all the information that they wanted on Roberto and his history with us, and some of the things he's done since the information came out."

The Indians are hopeful that Hernandez might not face a suspension from Major League Baseball upon returning to the United States. Earlier this season, Marlins pitcher Juan Carlos Oviedo -- mired for eight months in a similar false-identity situation as Hernandez -- received an eight-week suspension from MLB.

The difference between the cases is Hernandez drastically reworked his contract with Cleveland.

"Our understanding at this point," Antonetti said last month, "is that, because he's restructured his contract, there won't be an additional suspension required. That could change, but that's the guidance we've been given at this point. There are just aren't any absolutes."


Tribe's Santana shows signs of busting slump

ST. PETERSBURG --

Carlos Santana admits that he has worried too much throughout the slump that has consumed his season. The Indians catcher believes part of the problem has been overthinking at the plate.

In Wednesday's 10-6 win over the Rays, Santana stopped worrying and starting swinging, giving Cleveland a glimpse of the slugger that has been buried beneath the burden this year. Santana launched a critical three-run home run, collected two hits and knocked in four RBIs in the victory.

"This has been a hard season for me," Santana said Thursday morning at Tropicana Field. "But I'll be fine. Yesterday, getting those hits helped my confidence."

The Indians are hoping those hits also lit a fire.

"Confidence is a big part of this game," Indians manager Manny Acta said. "Hopefully he can have a second half like he had last year and help us out."

Santana's struggles have been well-documented, but the fact is the catcher's numbers through 75 games are eerily similar to last season at the same juncture. The only difference has been a drop off in power production, and some time lost due to concussion and lower back issues.

Through 75 games this season, Santana has hit .225 with a .351 on-base percentage and a .344 slugging percentage, producing six homers, 13 doubles, 34 RBIs, 53 walks and 59 hits along the way. Through 75 games a year ago, the catcher was hitting .226/.356/.409 with 11 homers, 14 doubles, 36 RBIs, 54 walks and 58 hits.

That said, Santana has posted a .182/.308/.250 slash line over his past 39 games, dating back to May 18. In Wednesday's win, the catcher snapped an 138 at-bat drought without a home run and enjoyed his first multihit game since June 18. It also marked his first game with at least two hits and at least two RBIs since May 8.

"I worry too much. I'm thinking too much," said Santana, who has tried to eliminate some excess body movement in his swing this season. "But this is something that happens in the game, for me, and for everybody. I feel strong and I feel stronger game by game."

The Indians are keeping their collective fingers crossed.

"We still have to sit and wait," Acta said. "One game is not going to change the whole thing, but it certainly helps. He's been seeing the ball better. He's been walking more as of late, which is part of his game. Hey, success breeds confidence."

Rogers earning Tribe's trust in tight spots

ST. PETERSBURG --

The Indians have taken plenty of time to ease Esmil Rogers into things since he joined the club's bullpen via trade last month. Given his consistently strong results, Cleveland is starting to trust him in key situations.

That was clear on Wednesday night, when the Indians handed Rogers the ball with one out and the bases loaded in the fifth inning. The righty escaped the jam with a strikeout and a groundout -- only using his curveball -- to help send the Indians on their way to a 10-6 win.

"Now he's stepping into higher leverage situations," Indans manager Manny Acta said on Thursday morning. "Yesterday, that was huge, not only for him, but for us. We trusted him to come into a bases-loaded, one-out type of deal. For him to get us out there had to be a big boost for him."

Rogers has arguably been the surprise of the season for the Tribe's relief corps.

When the Rockies traded the reliever to the Indians in exchange for cash on June 12, Rogers had an 8.06 ERA with 29 strikeouts against 18 walks through 25 2/3 innings. Through 14 appearances with Cleveland, though, he's posted a tidy 2.04 ERA, striking out 22 and walking just three in 17 2/3 innings.

The Indians did not make any changes to Rogers' pitch distribution or mechanics. The team only asked him to try to harness his fastball, which can touch 97-98 mph, without trying to be too fine. Along those lines, Cleveland's catchers have been told to set up in the middle of the plate, rather than trying to set pitches up over the edges.

"His strikeout-to-walk ratio is very, very good right now to say the least," Acta said. "When you have that type of stuff, and you attack the strike zone, more times than not you're going to be successful. He's gaining a lot of confidence right now."

Quote to note

"We need at least five guys back there, like we've done the last couple of years, that we can trust and that can keep us close when we're tied or trailing, in order for our bullpen to be successful long-term. If not, you're going to end up burning those guys out."
--Indians manager Manny Acta

Smoke signals

• Indians lefty Rafael Perez (on the 60-day disabled list due to a left lat injury) logged one shutout inning with one strikeout in a Minor League rehab outing for Triple-A Columbus on Wednesday. Perez is scheduled to throw in a bullpen session in Cleveland on Friday before continuing his Minor League rehab on Monday, following two days off.

• Indians left-hander Tony Sipp has posted a 1.59 ERA over his last eight appearances, allowing just one earned run over 5 2/3 innings. In his previous nine relief outings, Sipp had an 8.68 ERA with nine earned runs in 9 1/3 innings of work for the Tribe.

• Center fielder Michael Brantley was in Thursday's lineup as the designated hitter for the Indians. Cleveland manager Manny Acta said he wanted to give Brantley some rest at the end of playing seven straight games on artificial turf (Toronto and Tampa Bay).

Indians net pick in Competitive Balance Lottery

By Jordan Bastian / MLB.com | 07/19/12 12:28 AM ET

ST. PETERSBURG --

Thanks to a new provision in the latest Collective Bargaining Agreement, the Indians will receive an extra selection in the 2013 First-Year Player Draft.

On Wednesday, Major League Baseball held its first Competitive Balance Lottery, giving teams in the 10 smallest markets and the 10 teams with the lowest revenues a chance to earn additional Draft picks.

Cleveland drew the second selection in Round B, which will follow the second round of the First-Year Player Draft. The pick will likely fall between pick Nos. 70-75.

Besides the Indians, the D-backs, Orioles, Reds, Rockies, Royals, Marlins, Brewers, A's, Pirates, Cardinals, Padres and Rays represented the 13 eligible clubs for the lottery. The Tigers were added to the pool of teams eligible for Round Two.

A club's odds of winning the lottery were based on its winning percentage in the previous year. Kansas City earned the top pick in Round A, which will follow the first round. Teams who net one of additional selections also have the ability to trade the picks.

Brantley starting to draw more walks

ST. PETERSBURG --

Perhaps there is an element of respect being shown on the part of pitchers. Surely, what has been going on lately is a product of Michael Brantley's offensive tear for the Indians. Whatever the reason, Brantley is being walked more often these days.

Brantley drew two walks for Cleveland in Tuesday's loss to Tampa Bay, and the Indians' hot-hitting center fielder drew a career-high three free passes in Monday's win. Pitchers have been trying to get Brantley to swing at pitches outside the strike zone and he has not been biting.

"You never want to expand your zone," Brantley said prior to Wednesday's game at Tropicana Field. "I'm kind of getting some pitches that are borderline and, basically, I'm staying off of them right now. If I can continue to do that, hopefully I'll get some more pitches in the strike zone."

Entering Wednesday, Brantley had drawn 15 walks over his past 72 plate appearances, after having drawn 15 waks in his last 361 PA, dating back to last July. The recent surge in freebies has come during an extremely strong stretch for the Tribe's center fielder.

Brantley headed into Wednesday's game hitting .434 (23-for-53) over his past 16 games. Dating back to May 20, when he was hitting .255 for the Indians, Brantley has hit .341 (60-for-176) across 48 games, raising his season average to .300. He also entered Wednesday with the highest contact rate (92 percent) in the American League.

"I don't think it's that they don't want to pitch to him," Indians manager Manny Acta said. "He is patient enough. When he's going good, that's what happens. When you're hitting good, the result is you're not chasing, you're not expanding and you're swinging at good pitches to hit. It's a byproduct of being in a good groove."

Brantley had four home runs, 27 doubles, three triples, 40 runs scored and 44 RBIs through 87 games for Cleveland this season entering Wednesday, and he hit his fourth triple in his first plate appearance on Wednesday. He has posted a .356 on-base percentage to go along with a .433 slugging percentage.

"When you're going well, you see the ball better," Brantley said. "If you can consistently stay in the zone and swing at quality strikes, the better off you're going to be and you'll be able to have success at a high rate for a longer period of time."

Acta standing by Santana during slump

ST. PETERSBURG --

Indians manager Manny Acta has maintained a consistent approach throughout Carlos Santana's ongoing offensive slump. Acta has kept Cleveland's catcher in the lineup, giving him a chance to fight his way out of the funk.

For Wednesday's 10-6 win over the Rays, Santana remained in the batting order and was actually bumped back up to the fifth spot after hitting seventh in the previous game against the Rays. Santana responded by going 2-for-4 with a three-run home run, one walk, two runs scored and four RBIs for Cleveland.

"It was nice to see that," Acta said. "He finally got that monkey off his back with that homer, which was huge."

Acta said that he feels the best approach with slumping players such as Santana is to keep them on the field.

"We'll continue to be positive with them and play them," Acta said of his struggling hitters. "That's the only way they're going to get better. Carlos is hanging in there. He's getting his walks here and there. The only way they're going to get out of it is by playing."

Entering Wednesday, Santana was hitting .221 with five home runs and 30 RBIs through 74 games for the Indians. Through his first 74 games a year ago, Santana hit just .225, but he had belted 11 home runs with 35 RBIs, and was on his way to a 27-homer, 79-RBI showing for the Tribe.

Santana's home run on Wednesday ended a homerless drought of 136 at-bats -- a stretch that dated back to May 15. The catcher's season average peaked at .269 on May 17, but he had hit just .172 with eight RBIs in the 38 games since that point, entering Wednesday. Pitchers have given Santana fewer fastballs this year, and a steady dose of offspeed offerings.

"He continues just to struggle with his balance at the plate," Acta said. "He's pull happy. He's working. He's working hard with [hitting coach Bruce Fields], but it's going to take time. It's not going to be one at-bat or two at-bats. As of late, he has been seeing the ball better, because at least he's walking."

Rafael Perez getting closer to returning

ST. PETERSBURG --

One of the Indians' issues this season has been a lack of a consistent performance by its left-handed relievers. A large part of the problem has been the absence of veteran southpaw Rafael Perez.

"We feel that he could help us up here," Indians manager Manny Acta said.

On Wednesday, Perez was transferred to Triple-A Columbus to continue his rehab from a left-lat strain that has kept him sidelined since April 26. Perez, who is on the 60-day disabled list, is scheduled to pitch in a bullpen session in Cleveland on Friday following his outing with Columbus.

Beyond that, Acta said the current plan calls for Perez to pitch in back-to-back Minor League rehab games (likely with Double-A Akron) on Monday and Tuesday. Barring setbacks, it is possible that the Indians will consider activating the left-hander after that final step in the process.

Perez turned in a 3.00 ERA in 71 games for the Indians last season, and had a 3.52 ERA in eight appearances this year before being shelved with the injury.

Cleveland's other lefty options have struggled over the past few months. Tony Sipp has posted a 5.40 ERA through 36 games and is now being used primarily as a lefty specialist. Nick Hagadone had a 6.39 ERA in 27 appearances, but is likely done for the season with a left-hand injury. Rookie Scott Barnes has an 8.31 ERA through six games.

One issue with Perez was a significant drop in velocity earlier this season. The lefty was consistently clocked around 83-85 mph before being placed on the disabled list, but Acta said Wednesday that Perez was back up to 85-87 mph in his recent Minor League outings.

"It's going to take a little bit of time to get him up to that 89-91, where he used to be," Acta said. "But, if he's pain free, he relies a lot on movement and stuff like that."

Quote to note

"It's a little boring. It's not fun. You always want to swing the bat. But, getting on base for your teammates behind you, and constantly trying to put a little pressure on the pitcher, is not a bad thing."
--Indians center fielder Michael Brantley, on drawing more walks of late

Smoke signals

• Class A (short-season) Mahoning Valley outfielder Tyler Naquin, who was the Indians' top pick (15th overall) in the First-Year Player Draft last month, has hit .301 (22-for-73) through 19 games. Naquin has piled up four doubles, two triples, 10 RBIs, 11 walks, 16 strikeouts and three stolen bases. The left-handed hitter has also posted a .455 (10-for-22) mark against lefites.

• Relievers Tony Sipp and Jeremy Accardo combined to log 2 1/3 shutout innings for the Indians in Tuesday's loss to the Rays. That marked the ninth time in the past 14 games that Cleveland's bullpen has blanked the opposition. Over that span, the Tribe's bullpen has posted a 2.23 ERA and a .189 opponents' average.

• Entering Wednesday's game, the Indians had just seven errors over their past 21 games. Cleveland's .986 team fielding percentage ranked fourth overall in the Major Leagues, trailing only the Mariners (.990), White Sox (.989) and Reds (.986).

Allen set to join Indians from Triple-A Columbus

By Jordan Bastian / MLB.com | 07/19/12 6:49 PM ET

ST. PETERSBURG --

The Indians will have a fresh face in their bullpen on Friday night in Cleveland. The Tribe has promoted right-hander Cody Allen from Triple-A Columbus to the big leagues, adding a talented rookie arm to the mix.

The Indians have not officially announced the move and the ballclub will need to make a subsequent transaction to add Allen to the active roster. Cleveland is scheduled to take on Baltimore on Friday in the first game of a seven-game homestand against the Orioles and Tigers.

Allen has enjoyed a rapid ascension through the farm system.

This season, the 23-year-old Allen has fashioned a 1.87 ERA in 31 games spent between Class A Carolina, Double-A Akron and Triple-A Columbus. Last year, the right-hander went 5-1 with a 1.65 ERA across four Minor League levels, ending with a stint in Double-A. Allen was drafted twice by Cleveland -- first in the 16th round in 2010 and then in the 23rd round in '11.

In 24 games for Columbus this season, Allen has 35 strikeouts and nine walks in 31 2/3 innings. At Triple-A, he has held left-handed hitters to a .133 average and righties to a .235 showing. Overall, the reliever has 53 strikeouts and nine walks and a 0.79 WHIP in 43 1/3 Minor League innings this season.

If the Indians remove a reliever from the roster to clear a spot for Allen, the most vulnerable candidate would appear to be rookie lefty Scott Barnes. In seven appearances for Cleveland this season, Barnes has posted an 8.10 ERA with 10 strikeouts and seven walks in 10 innings.

That's vulnerable enough for me.

One of the fastest rising rookies we've ever had. Other than Greg Swindell who went right to the minors, who else has made it to the majors 13 months after the draft? Allen was a 23rd round draft choice out of High Point U. His draft profile is hardly overwhelming;

Cody Allen, a 6-foot-2, 215-pound righthander at High Point, has attracted interest because of a good curveball. His fastball ranges from 88-92 mph and he can sit 90-92 on good nights, though his fastball doesn't have much life. He was 4-6, 3.16 in 84 innings with 89 strikeouts and 29 walks.