By Tony Bogan
Spring Training is nearing its end and several spots are still up for grabs, but with just over a week until the season opener, we’re taking an educated guess at what the lineups will look like.
The injury to Jason Kipnis creates question marks for the lineup early in the season and first, here’s my projected opening day lineup:
Vs. LHP (with Kipnis)
Vs. RHP (with Kipnis)
Bench: Michael Martinez, Brandon Guyer, Roberto Perez, Austin Jackson
Brandon Guyer is one of the best lefty mashers in the game.
This will come in handy for days the Indians want to rest Michael Brantley.
Until Kipnis returns, the Indians will at least have a solid defensive second baseman, who has a knack for making heads up baserunning plays and can do the little things, like going from first to third.
That being said, Kipnis’ spot will be one of the only blemishes on an otherwise dangerous lineup.
When he returns, it’s fun to think about what this offense could do. For this team, the main objective is to get to October healthy.
As we’ve seen with Brantley, let’s hope Kipnis gets all the time he needs to make a full recovery.
And Cleveland’s depth on the bench is something that could be a huge help if one or two of the outfielders do happen to miss an extended period of time.
Brandon Guyer vs. Lonnie Chisenhall
Comparing the two side by side, Lonnie Chisenhall has the advantage, having been with the club for five years. He transitioned from third base to the outfield, starting 118 games for the team in the absence of Michael Brantley. Chisenhall will get around 60-80 starts, and will end up with at least one or two of those at first or third base.
Even though Brandon Guyer, hit better in the postseason than Chisenhall, Guyer will probably get about 20-40 starts. If he proves himself and hits well, he will be staying with the club, but if he struggles, non-roster invitees Wily Mo Pena (if he can find that spark from his younger years), and Chris Colabello (who had a great start to 2014, and his best career year in 2015 before his suspension the following season) will be waiting in the wings.
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