Cleveland Indians: Injuries opened the door for Bradley Zimmer’s arrival

The Cleveland Indians’ top prospect Bradley Zimmer has been called up after injuries have taken their toll on the outfield.

The Cleveland Indians have done a lot of roster shuffling in 2017 and it is only May 16.

That continued today, as Abraham Almonte was sent to the disabled list, making him the third outfielder to hit the list, joining Austin Jackson and Brandon Guyer.

As a result, the Indians made a move that will have fans excited.

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Bradley Zimmer is in Cleveland and will likely be the main option in right field until Almonte returns. He may even keep the job if he is doing well.

Calling up Zimmer meant Yandy Diaz was once again sent down, but the Indians clearly weren’t ready to commit to him in any other outfield spot than left field at this point in time. That means Daniel Robertson will serve as the other outfield option while the others heal.

Zimmer’s arrival mirrors that of Tyler Naquin from a year ago, when Naquin came up once Michael Brantley hit the DL.

He was able to stick and be one of the top rookies in the American League, so hopefully Zimmer will have similar results.

Zimmer compiled a .294 batting average in Columbus this year, hitting five home runs and driving in 14 runs. The biggest concern about him is his strikeouts, as he has 43 in just 126 at-bats, but the team can only keep him in Triple-A for so long before it is time to see what he can do.

The strikeouts must be limited, but he can make up for it by driving in runs and being an effective member of a lineup that has been inconsistent all year.

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Zimmer may just be here for a few weeks or perhaps for the rest of the season. But even if he is sent down later this month, the experience he gets in the next week or so will benefit him moving forward, as he will surely be back with the club in September.