Back stiffness forced Cleveland Indians outfielder Michael Brantley out of the lineup on April 8 against the Astros. He returned to the lineup on April 10 vs. the Tigers

(AP) -- The Indians won't believe what they've done with the place.

Progressive Field, the team's downtown Cleveland home since 1994, underwent a massive remodeling during the winter, and despite brutally cold weather and snow that slowed construction, the upgrades have been completed in time for Friday's opener against the Detroit Tigers.

Featuring a two-story corner bar, open social terraces in right field where fans can hang out and reconfigured bullpens stacked side-by-side behind the center-field wall, the renovations have given the ballpark a fresh look, which the Indians hope will bring back fans. Cleveland ranked 29th out of 30 MLB teams in total attendance last season.

Borrowing part of the famous line from actor Kevin Costner's character in the film "Field of Dreams," the Indians are hoping if you re-build it, they will come.

"I've seen pictures," manager Terry Francona said of the makeover, which has reduced the ballpark's capacity by six thousand to 37,630. "It looks pretty cool. We're all looking forward to getting home and getting situated."

The Indians opened the season by taking two of three in Houston, coming within two outs of a combined no-hitter in Thursday's 5-1 win. Now they'll dive right into their AL Central schedule with three against Detroit and two against the Chicago White Sox, two teams expected to contend in one of baseball's deepest divisions.

Zach McAllister, who went to spring training penciled in to be a reliever, will start the home opener.

McAllister (4-7, 5.23 ERA) won a starting job with a strong spring and because of injuries to Gavin Floyd and Josh Tomlin, who both have undergone surgeries, and Danny Salazar's demotion to the minors. McAllister made 15 starts in 2014 before a back issue landed him on the disabled list. He was moved to the bullpen and was better in his role as a middle-innings reliever, posting a 2.77 ERA in seven appearances and throwing 7 2/3 scoreless innings to end the year.

"I wasn't happy with the year I had," McAllister said. "I think a lot of guys in general who had that type of year would be on a mission to be ready to go and win a job and prove that you deserve to be on the team and be a successful part of this team. That was my goal.

"I knew what I was capable of doing and last year I didn't really succeed, but I was able to learn a lot and really grow from it."

One of the Indians' first orders of business when they get home is to have the team's medical staff get an assessment on All-Star outfielder Michael Brantley's stiff back. Brantley was scratched from the lineup Wednesday and rested Thursday as the club is being cautious with its best player.

"It just kind of keeps acting up on him," Francona said of Brantley, who was slowed by lower back pain during spring training. "Hopefully, the more information we can get, the better feel we have, and then we'll get him back out there playing."

The Tigers have injury issues of their own.

On Tuesday, the club placed Justin Verlander and closer Joe Nathan on the 15-day disabled list. The move with Verlander was mostly expected since he's been dealing with a strained right triceps for several weeks. Nathan, on the other hand, picked up a save in Monday's opener and neither he nor the Tigers had hinted at any problems.

The Tigers are hoping rest will do the trick for Nathan, who had a rough first year in Detroit, blowing seven saves and finishing with a 4.81 ERA.

Until he's ready, manager Brad Ausmus will use Joakim Soria as his closer and left-hander Blaine Hardy is expected to be called up from Triple-A Toledo.

"We just left spring training, so we're in a position where Brad and the staff, and everybody's got a real pulse of all of our guys," general manager Dave Dombrowski said. "Hardy was real close to making our club as it was. We're in a situation where, going into Cleveland, they've got a lot of left-handed hitters."

The Tigers haven't needed much help from the bullpen so far. David Price went 8 2/3 innings in an opening-day shutout of Minnesota, Anibal Sanchez went 6 2/3 in an 11-0 victory Wednesday and Shane Greene allowed an unearned run over eight Thursday in a 7-1 win.

The team's 24-inning shutout streak to begin a season was the longest in major league history.

The Tigers hope Alfredo Simon (15-10, 3.44) can continue their streak of strong starts. An All-Star last season with Cincinnati, Simon was traded to Detroit in December for prospects Jonathon Crawford and Eugenio Suarez.

The right-hander would love to put his final few months of 2014 behind him. He went 3-7 with a 4.52 ERA in 14 starts following the break after going 12-3 with a 2.70 ERA in the first half.

McAllister really wowing them. Luckily three Tiger hits did not produce a 1st inning run due to Gomes nailing Gose stealing. Not so lucky in the 2nd, 3 more hits produced a run.

Perhaps Detroit is not a good opponent for a pitcher who throws almost all fast balls.
I like Bauer's six pitch mix better.

1 run on 6 hits in 2 innings. Boy are we lucky to still be right in this game.

Our speed demon leadoff man with a rare steal try in the 1st but he was caught too.

Our second inning again starts with the leadoff man on base and ends with only 3 men hitting. The walking man gets himself on base and Moss wipes him out in a DP. Maybe Joey Wendle actually is more valuable? [debuted in AAA for the A's with 2 hits. That's 2 more than Moss has with the Indians in 11 AB] 0-1 after 2.

I think I prefer Bauer's approach to McAllisters: lots of walks to lots of singles; walks don't drive in runs unless there are 4 in an inning. Cabrera leads off the 3rd with the 7th Tiger single. That's about even with the hit total Houston managed against our Big 3 in 27 innings. Won't you come home Danny Salazar?

2 outs later Cespedes with single No. 8.

Leads them on base.

In the inning Zach threw 20 pitches, 3 were not fastballs. I think he's a relief pitcher.

And we're still right in the game, down only 1-0 mid 3.

I totally agree about Zach being a reliever, but unfortunately with Tomlin's injury and Salazar pitching the way he did Tito went with this. Hopefully Salazar gets it figured out soon.

Question of the Day?

Why exactly does Francona need all these relief pitchers, granted there are "only" seven in the pen today.

McAllister lets two more score in the 4th and his total reaches 11.

But he's back out for the 5th. And Cespedes leads off with the Tigers first xb hit, a double to deep right.
But he's still there to fact Castellanos. We hits it out of the park and pretty much make the rest of this game irrelevant.
At which point Zach and the Indians fans' are taken out of their misery.

4 innings, 5 runs, 13 hits. Nice work.

Here's a cute away to put in on Indians.com

"Zach McAllister didn't have his best stuff in the Indians' home opener, allowing five runs and 13 hits in four-plus innings vs. Detroit."

With Zac out of there, the Indians are trying to get back in. Brantley and Santana with RBI hits in the bottom of the 6ht cut it to 5-2 and Brandon Moss steps in as the potential tying run [or at least with a chance for a his potential first Indians hit]

And Moss' single makes it 5-3 and Tigers get their miserable bullpen involved.

Al New Mexico in for relief. He had a nice spring outing about a week back in which he allowed 6 runs in less than an inning. He'll face Gomes with the tying runs on base and one out.