Cleveland Indians: Series preview vs. Detroit Tigers

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Andrew Miller making progress in his return

Andrew Miller has been on the DL for two weeks now. He started his throwing assignments last week and threw off of the mound on Wednesday. The Cleveland Indians need their star reliever to get back to his old dominant ways as soon as possible. With that said, the team shouldn’t rush him back. Last time the Indians forced him back, he was terrible. They didn’t put him in any rehab starts. If that’s what it takes for him to return to form, I see no reason for him not to go down to Triple-A Columbus for a game or two.

Worst/Best case scenario

Worst case 1-2 series loss:

The Indians are playing inconsistent baseball. Yes, they did just beat the best team in the National League record wise, but that came after they flopped last weekend against the Twins. It’s hard to tell what Indians team we will get against another scrappy division foe. With that said, it’s hard to envision a sweep when you have arguably three of your best pitchers taking the hill. Two losses? Sure, it can happen. Getting swept by a sub-.500 team? Not likely.

Best case 3-0 series win:

It’s easy to envision a future where the Cleveland Indians sweep the Tigers and expend their streak to five in a row. But that may be easier said than done. Say what you will about Detroit, they’re much better this year than they have been in the last two years. That being said, the Indians have struggled with the Tigers early in the last two years, only to put them in their place as the season progressed. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see them do just that this weekend.

Next: Neil Ramirez filling in setup role nicely

The first game of this series kicks off tonight at 7:10 PM EST and continues through Saturday and Sunday afternoon.