Cleveland Indians: Giovanny Urshela earning himself an October role

Giovanny Urshela still isn’t great on offense, but his continued excellence on defense should earn him a spot on the Cleveland Indians’ postseason roster.

It is common among Cleveland Indians fans to wonder just how great Giovanny Urshela could be if he could only hit.

He did pick up two hits in both games on Friday, but his season batting average remains at the low mark of .220.

But there is a reason why Urshela keeps playing and that is his defense. He even recently slotted in at shortstop, and proved he can hold his own there as well.

With the entire infield healthy, Urshela goes to the bench, given Jason Kipnis starts at second base. However, he has shown enough on defense, and has shown flashes on offense, that make it clear he deserves a spot on the postseason roster.

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Making the roster doesn’t mean he will play every game, but it does give Terry Francona an elite defender to bring into the game late. And with Kipnis struggling at the plate, bringing in Urshela in his place doesn’t involve too much of a dropoff on offense.

Urshela can come in late and play third base, while Jose Ramirez can slide over to second, giving the team its best defensive alignment.

Fans would much rather see Urshela out there compared to last year’s option in Michael Martinez. To be fair, Urshela is an elite defender so there really is no comparison.

Erik Gonzalez is the other option the Indians may consider when it comes to that backup infielder spot, given the entire infield is healthy, and he can make his case based on his offense.

But when it comes to the amount of time Urshela and Gonzalez would play in a postseason game, Urshela’s defense for an inning or two has more value than Gonzalez’s offense for one at-bat. And with Urshela’s recent performances, he is showing he has the potential to make some noise at the plate.

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With Kipnis still injured, Urshela still has the whole month of September to continue proving himself. The same goes for Gonzalez, but it is hard to keep witnessing Urshela’s defensive magic and imagine leaving him off the October roster.