CLEVELAND _ As players filled the Indians clubhouse to dress for a team picture, it seemed like every other guy who walked by was on the disabled list. It was almost easier to find those who were on the DL than those who weren't.
Left and right, no matter where you looked, there was someone walking in from rehab before trudging out to right field for the photo.
That is, at least, the perception of the Indians after a rash of injuries. That list grew longer on Wednesday, when Jason Kipnis was placed on the 10-day disabled list with a strained right hamstring, which he reaggravated in Tuesday's game.
He joined Andrew Miller and Danny Salazar as recent additions to the DL after they were each taken off the active 25-man roster on Tuesday afternoon. The list keeps going _ Josh Tomlin, Boone Logan (60-day disabled list), Michael Brantley, Abraham Almonte, Lonnie Chisenhall.
That's seven players on the 10-day disabled list, all of whom were placed there since July 14. Logan, along with Cody Anderson, remain on the 60-day DL. Nearly one-third of the active roster has spent more time in the trainer's room than on the field lately.
"There's no team on the other side that's going to feel sorry for us," Indians manager Terry Francona said. "We talk about it all the time. There's times during a season where winning is harder than others, and there's times where maybe you've got to keep your head above water. That's why we always fall back on 'Let's try to win tonight.' "
The many injuries have Francona quoting the fictional Joe Dirt.
"You have to fight through it," Francona said Tuesday night. "I think when things like this happen, you reach to the famous philosopher Joe Dirt: 'You just keep on keepin' on.' We'll be all right."
With Kipnis now joining the list, the Indians again recalled Erik Gonzalez from Triple-A Columbus. He and Giovanny Urshela have provided defensive insurance in Kipnis' absence all season.
Both now and a month ago, when Kipnis went down the first time, the club was determined to at least stay strong defensively. Enter Gonzalez and Urshela, who along with Francisco Lindor and Jose Ramirez give the Indians a talented and versatile infield.
"Somebody was asking me the other day about our pitching really picking up, and they have, but I don't think it's always just one thing," Francona said. "I think our infield defense has been really good, to the point where at times, spectacular. G has made some plays that are highlight-reel plays. The fact that Jose can go back-and-forth, that has allowed us to maybe do some things, whether it's pinch hitting or things where some of the lack of offense doesn't hurt us as much as it may look. At least that's the idea."
For Kipnis, his nightmarish season continues. He started the season on the disabled list battling a shoulder injury. He struggled to get his season off the ground offensively and then strained his hamstring and was put on the DL just before the All-Star Game.
He had returned and was hitting a bit, but then came up slow on a ground ball in Tuesday's game. At the moment, there is no clear timetable for his return.
"He got scanned this morning and it showed that he did reaggravate that," Francona said. "Now, is it scar tissue? That's a little hard to tell. So, we kind of talked with Kip and rather than maybe try to milk it for three or four days, I think we felt like, let's get him healthy."
Kipnis and Miller each reaggravated injuries that had previously placed them on the disabled list. In both cases, the reports indicated that they were ready to return. Miller said on Tuesday that he had felt great prior to reinjuring his right knee. Were they brought back too soon?
"I don't think so," Francona said. "We try to (wait until) when guys say they're ready and the medical people say they're ready. I know, shoot, I made Kip play one more (rehab) game than he really wanted to. He was mad at me that night. I think you try to use your best information and it's certainly not perfect. We know that."
