Cleveland Indians outfielder Lonnie Chisenhall will be the latest player to miss time due to an injury, and his status is unknown for Opening Day.
Friday was a busy day for Cleveland Indians fans. The good news was the extension reportedly signed by Jose Ramirez, keeping him in Cleveland until at least 2021.
The bad news came in an actual game, when Lonnie Chisenhall left the game after colliding with the outfield wall. As we always say, no one said it is easy to be an Indians fan.
He was removed from the game, but his status was unknown until today. Jordan Bastian tweeted out the following update.
Francona: Chisenhall has mild AC sprain in right shoulder. Will be shut down for 3 days, and then re-evaluated.
— Jordan Bastian (@MLBastian) March 25, 2017
So right away, the injury appears to be minor. Given the sprain is simply pain instead of any unknown structural damage, there is no reason to believe Chisenhall won’t be ready for Opening Day.
However, if the pain persists after these three days, he may have to miss some time, as the season begins next Monday.
But as with the situations surrounding Jason Kipnis and Michael Brantley, it is too early to panic. We just have to go off the timetable given by the team and hope for the best.
This injury is interesting as it could potentially open up an outfield spot if it becomes more severe. However, the Indians could always just go with four players, given Brantley is healthy, and wait for Chisenhall to return.
Next: 10 bold predictions for the Indians in 2017
An injury like this is unfortunate so close to the season, but he should be ready to begin the season as long as he has no pain. A week or so of rest before next Monday’s opener could help keep him fresh for the long haul of the season.