Cleveland Indians Roundup: Indians Bullpen Trade Rumors, Injury Notes; Oakland Athletics Series Preview

Cleveland Indians regained and lost a relief pitcher to injury; bullpen trade rumors

The Cleveland Indians opened a new series against the Oakland Athletics last night, as I previewed yesterday. The game was surprisingly close, with both starting pitchers giving their teams quality outings. Trevor Bauer only lasted 5.1 innings for the Tribe, but he still kept them in the game by only allowing three runs. Kendall Graveman of the A’s lasted a bit longer, but he also pitched a bit worse.

The game was very close heading into the later innings, with the Cleveland Indians down by one entering the seventh. Knocking in four runs to give themselves a 5-3 lead, they managed to change their fortunes against Graveman and the bullpen just in time. Bryan Shaw pitched a scoreless eighth, and Cody Allen slammed the door in the ninth to preserve the lead.

In other news, the Cleveland Indians activated Zach McAllister from the disabled list, as reported by Jordan Bastian of MLB.com. The right-hander missed some time with a hip injury, although his results certainly were not missed during his absence. Prior to landing on the disabled list, he posted a hideous 5.40 earned run average with an alarmingly high amount of walks, hits, and home runs. Also worth noting is that he began the year a bit better before seeing his velocity and results plunge as the season grew older. Hopefully, the time on the disabled list has allowed him to heal enough to return to his prior excellence.

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Unfortunately, the Indians freed a spot on the 25-man roster by placing Jeff Manship back on the disabled list with wrist inflammation. The 31-year-old has pitched moderately well for the Tribe this season. While he has prevented runs at a good rate, he has allowed quite a few baserunners at the same time. He has also been walking batters at a career-high rate, which is further cause for concern.

Finally, Paul Hoynes of Cleveland.com has reported that the Cleveland Indians have inquired about Wade Davis and Mark Melancon. Clearly, both pitchers are elite closers and will command quite a large package of prospects in return for a trade. This has held true in all rumblings about potential asking prices for Wade Davis, and even a stint on the disabled list has done little to reduce his cost. Melancon will be a free agent at the end of the season, unlike Davis and his $10 million club option. Hoynes also notes that a trade for either pitcher appears unlikely.

More from around the American League Central:

Cleveland Indians to Open Series Against Oakland Athletics Tonight – Wahoo’s on First

Zach McAllister Returns from Disabled List as Bullpen Shuffles – Indians.com

MLB Trade Rumors: Cleveland Indians Inquire About Closers Wade Davis, Mark Melancon – Cleveland.com