Swisher Activated From DL For Red Sox Opener

The Indians activated Nick Swisher from the 15-day disabled list on Thursday afternoon, welcoming back the 33-year-old first baseman/designated hitter to the suddenly streaking club. The Tribe went 9-5 with Swisher on the shelf, smoking their opponents while outscoring them 74-57 during their race to relevance in the AL Central.

With Swisher back, the Indians placed Jason Giambi on the 15-day disabled list with left knee inflammation. Perhaps, the cranky knees of the 43-year-old designated hitter have played a role in his .128/.212/.277 triple-slash over 52 plate appearances in 2014. He’ll take a couple of weeks off to clear that up, as we speculate whether he will come back to a 25-man roster spot, or if Kyle Crockett or Jose Ramirez are more deserving of the roster spot going forward, as our own Kyle Downing stated in a recent game recap.

Even with Lonnie Chisenhall‘s bat currently the equivalent of being “on fire” in NBA Jam, the switch-hitting Swisher is a tremendous addtion to the Indians offense, as they look to continue their recent hitting jamboree to catch up with the Detroit Tigers in the Central. Though he was hitting just .211/.312/.319 over his first 218 plate appearances in 2014, Swisher has a career .894 OPS as a DH, a role that he should fill often as the club works Chisenhall and Carlos Santana into everyday roles going forward.