Cleveland Indians: Previewing the first series with Toronto

After a pair of disappointing series’, the Cleveland Indians will look for their first series victory against the struggling Toronto Blue Jays in a four-game tout.

We knew that the month of April wouldn’t be easy. With some serious pieces still missing from the Cleveland Indians lineup, they have to rely on their pitching staff to keep games close and find ways to win those close games. We’ve two seen close wins, a close loss, and two blowout losses that the team couldn’t keep up in.

Without bats like Francisco Lindor, Jason Kipnis, and Carlos Gonzalez, the Indians can’t get into high-scoring slugfests. That will be the case against the Toronto Blue Jays.

Projected Lineups

Toronto Blue Jays (3-4): Billy McKinney RF, Randal Grichuk CF, Justin Smoak DH, Teoscar Hernandez LF,  Rowdy Tellez 1B, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. 2B, Freddy Galvis SS, Richard Urena 3B, Luke Maile C

Cleveland Indians (2-3): Leonys Martin CF, Jose Ramirez 3B, Jake Bauers LF, Carlos Santana 1B, Hanley Ramirez DH, Brad Miller 2B, Roberto Perez C, Tyler Naquin RF, Eric Stamets SS

The Blue Jays have apparently decided it’s already time to start selling. They traded Kevin Pillar to the Giants earlier this week and have a lineup that is almost as unrecognizable as Cleveland’s. They seem to be in “wait for Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to be called up” purgatory.

The Indians are in a similar purgatory. Wait for Lindor, Kipnis, and others to return. Kipnis and Gonzalez have started in Triple-A action, but we likely won’t see Lindor until May… wonderful.