Indians Send Travis Hafner to DL

Added on May 20, 2011 by Scott in

MLB

Another sunrise means another injury for the Cleveland Indians. Just days after losing center fielder Grady Sizemore to a bruised knee, designated hitter Travis Hafner is shipped to the 15-day DL with a strained oblique muscle. The injury occurred on Wednesday while Hafner was participating in batting practice. Two days of rest was followed by a MRI which revealed the extent of the damage.

The loss, combined with Sizemore, will remove a significant amount of power from the Indians lineup. Hafner leads the team in batting at .345 and ranks third overall in the American League. His 22 RBI is tied for third on the team as are his five home runs.

The 33-year-old Hafner has spent all but one of his ten major league seasons in Cleveland. He has a career average of .283 and has belted 181 round-trippers. His six grand slams in 2006 tied a MLB record.

Staying healthy has plagued him over the last few years. He has missed at least 40 games in each season since 2008. In addition, a broken hand late in 2006 cost him a potential AL MVP award. That year he blasted 42 homers and drove in 117 in 129 games. He is eligible to be removed from the DL on June 2.

The AL Central-leading Indians boast the top record in baseball, due in large to a potent offense. They rank 4th overall in hitting and their .266 average leads all American League teams. Replacing Hafner on the active roster will be outfielder Ezequiel Carrera, who was called up from Triple-A where he was batting .317 with 17 RBI.

Cleveland is enjoying a five-game cushion over second place Detroit. They begin a weekend interleague series versus Cincinnati. Losers of two straight, the absence of Hafner and Sizemore could prove costly the remainder of this month. Upcoming series against Boston and Tampa Bay will definitely test their depth and place more pressure on a pitching staff yielding an impressive 3.48 runs per game.

Source: ESPN.com