The Indians are looking at all their options should second baseman Jason Kipnis miss the early part of the 2017 season.
Kipnis, dealing with a rotator cuff strain, is being shut down for about two weeks as the club tries to take a cautious approach in preparation for a grinding 162-game regular season. It has put his Opening Day status in limbo and forced the Indians to begin searching for alternatives at second base to start the season.
The Indians have a number of options should Kipnis not be ready by the April 3 opener against the Texas Rangers. For now, it seems they're leaning toward using internal options before searching for outside help.
"Some of it might be dependent on how long we think Kip is going to miss," Indians manager Terry Francona told reporters in Goodyear, Ariz. "If he's going to miss three or four days or a week, I'm not sure you go out and get a player. We'll be thinking of those things, and we already are.
"I guess the best thing we can do is get a good look at everybody in our camp. Sometimes I think you go out looking and you have the guy right in front of you."
Currently, there's a three-way race for the utility role on the Indians bench, and one of those options could serve as a temporary second baseman.
Erik Gonzalez, who is already on the 40-man roster, and Michael Martinez, a veteran with whom Francona is familiar, likely have the inside track. Gonzalez has been noted for his glove as he's worked his way through the minors and improved at the plate last season, hitting .296 with 11 home runs, 31 doubles and 53 RBI in Triple-A.
Ronny Rodriguez, like Martinez not currently on the 40-man roster, has also been named in that competition but is the least experienced in both the minors and at second base.
Similar to several talented outfielders in major league camp this spring, the Indians could opt to allow Rodriguez to receive full-time at-bats at Triple-A instead of temporary work in the majors.
"[Rodriguez has] some maintenance in his swing. By that I mean there are a lot of movements," Francona said. "You want to try to think, 'OK, if a guy's playing once a week, how's that going to translate?' He's had ups and downs in this camp, I would say. He's had some really good days, and he's had some days that were a little bit rougher. I think that happens with younger players."
The Indians could also opt to move third baseman Jose Ramirez to second base until Kipnis returns. Ramirez can handle the position, and has in the past, and last year did a remarkable job while moving between positions in the absences of Michael Brantley in left field and Juan Uribe at third.
That would then create a hole at third base, which could be filled by Giovanny Urshela. Last spring, Francona noted the club's insistence that Urshela could be an everyday third baseman in the future. Ramirez's emergence at third base in 2016 has created a roadblock for Urshela, who has been representing Team Colombia in the World Baseball Classic.
"If you're looking at a third baseman, that's the logical one," Francona said. "If somebody is in his way, we need to make sure his development doesn't stall. I think for a while it did last year.
"We actually have talked to him about that. ... It's something we need to prevent because he's got too much of a chance to be an everyday, major league third baseman that if for a half a year, or whatever it ends up being, we don't want to miss out on that because supposedly somebody is in his way."
The Indians will have several weeks to figure out how they'll handle Kipnis' absence once more is known about his expected return date. Until then, Brantley isn't the only mainstay in the Indians lineup to keep an eye on.
