Cleveland Indians: Top storylines as the postseason approaches

Steven Kubitza

(Photo by David Maxwell/Getty Images)

The Cleveland Indians have clinched the AL Central, but there is still plenty to talk about in the two weeks leading up to October.

Cleveland Indians fans may be ready for October after all the excitement of the recent 22-game win streak, but there is plenty to talk about in the final two weeks of September.

The team is still fighting for home-field advantage on the field, while the front office has to look at the roster and determine the best 25-man configuration for the postseason. Should players dealing with injuries get a shot to make the team in case they recover? There will be some lively discussions at Progressive Field before October rolls around.

Having too much talent on a team is always a good problem to have, but it does make it harder to determine the best group for the playoffs. Perhaps one player heats up in the remaining games, while a mainstay is slumping. Do you ride the hot hand?

Those decisions are all part of the fun of being a baseball fan, and it appears there is indeed enough talent to prevent any terrible decisions from being made. One thing we know is that the depth on the bench will be a bit better than last year when everyone’s favorite player, Michael Martinez, was the backup infielder.

There is plenty to talk about, so let’s take a look at three main topics that will have fans talking as the Indians prepare for their final 12 games of the regular season.

Before even thinking about the postseason roster, the Indians still have business to take care of on the field.

The Indians enter Tuesday with a 1.5-game lead over the Houston Astros for the best record in the American League, and trail the Los Angeles Dodgers by three games for the best record in baseball.

Fans won’t see Terry Francona go crazy trying to secure either top spot, as the health of his team is more important than home-field advantage. However, he also won’t put in B lineups either.

Don’t expect to see Andrew Miller come out in every single close game, and don’t expect Corey Kluber to start on short rest to secure one of these top spots.

Indians fans have seen nearly this entire expanded roster contribute all month, and that should continue, barring any jet lag in Los Angeles. The main goal should be securing that top spot in the AL, while the top record in baseball would be a bonus.

The playoffs are such a crapshoot it is not a given that the Dodgers are automatically going to the World Series, meaning the top spot in the AL may be enough. Sorry, I’m getting way too far ahead of myself.

The Indians just need to play even with the Astros for the remainder of the season to secure that top seed in the AL. Doing that would mean only having to face the Astros or the Boston Red Sox, instead of both, to get to the World Series. That is, given the Red Sox hold off the New York Yankees in the AL East race.

I won’t even try to predict the complete final outcome given how unpredictable all these teams have been, but I will say the Indians should be able to hold on to the top spot in the AL.

Injuries are nothing new for this Indians squad that nearly won it all without some key players a year ago.

The most notable injured player right now is Michael Brantley, who still can’t run with his injured ankle. That’s not a good sign.

With the postseason starting in just over two weeks, Brantley’s status appears to be doubtful. It is so hard to watch Brantley have to miss another great run with an injury, but his absence shouldn’t hurt the team too much.

The key is for Lonnie Chisenhall to be healthy, as he is dealing with some lingering issues in his calf that has bothered him for months. If he can get healthy, the Indians can have an outfield featuring Chisenhall, Austin Jackson and Jay Bruce, with Brandon Guyer and even Jason Kipnis being the backups, while Abraham Almonte may be the odd man out. Greg Allen could even find his way onto the roster due to his speed on the bases.

The other player to watch is Andrew Miller, who is being eased back into action after dealing with tendinitis over the past month. He has to get some work in before the postseason, but that doesn’t mean he will be pitching at his normal rate, perhaps not even in October. Luckily, Tyler Olson has stepped up to provide another dominant left-handed arm in the bullpen.

Getting Chisenhall healthy helps solve a major problem both in the lineup and in the field, but this team is in a great spot heading into the postseason. The roster is so stacked I didn’t even have to bring up Bradley Zimmer‘s injury, until right now, as someone like Jackson has been playing just as well or better and can step right in and produce at a high rate.

The Indians solved one of the first roster decisions by deciding to put Jason Kipnis in the outfield, keeping this dominant infield intact for now.

But even with that being said, there is a decision to make between Yandy Diaz and Giovanny Urshela at third base. Urshela is the superior defender, but Diaz has been stepping it up on offense as of late. Keeping both would be ideal, but that may not be possible.

Then there is the outfield, and as mentioned in the last slide there may not be room for players like Almonte and Allen, although the rookie could find a way onto the roster in the Dave Roberts role. With Bradley Zimmer out, having one guy to use as a pinch-runner is a key part of a Terry Francona team.

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And finally, the pitching staff. We know Corey Kluber, Carlos Carrasco and Trevor Bauer are assured starting spots. But what about Josh Tomlin, Mike Clevinger and Danny Salazar? And will Salazar make it in the bullpen?

I predict Salazar being the odd man out just because of his lingering arm problems and occasional control issues this year. He has shown flashes of being great, but has struggled too many times to be considered a sure thing for the playoffs.

In the bullpen, players like Zach McAllister and Dan Otero could even lose spots if the team carries someone like Clevinger, who could be a threat as a long-man out of the bullpen.

We all know how Terry Francona likes to get creative, making a player like Kipnis available in both the infield and the outfield, while we could even see someone like Salazar make it as both a potential starter or reliever.

Next: Scoreboard watching with 12 games left

The final 12 games should clear up these remaining questions, but fans can rest a bit easier knowing these problems are good ones to have.

Steven Kubitza

Steven Kubitza is a diehard Cleveland sports fan trying to stay sane.