Cleveland Indians Roundup: Offense Offering Hope; Series Preview; Jose Ramirez Notes

The Cleveland Indians opened a new series against the Chicago White Sox

Many fans have expected the Cleveland Indians to reach greatness through their pitching, but Nicholas D. Blazek writes that the offense has given a glimmer of hope so far. Despite the obviously small sample size, it is still nice to see players perform well at the start of the year. As he notes, the Indians have started out slowly during the past few years, and the team cannot afford to struggle out of the gate.

On another topic, Matt Bretz previews the Cleveland Indians’ new series against the Chicago White Sox. The series is in Chicago, and the Indians look to face three left-handed pitchers including the dangerous Chris Sale and the underrated Jose Quintana. As for the Indians, Danny Salazar, Cody Anderson, and Josh Tomlin will take the hill. 

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Bretz notes that Jason Kipnis is the big player to watch in this series. He has a career .920 OPS at U.S. Cellular Field, but he has struggled against lefties. This should be an interesting test of two strong forces. Ideally, Kipnis uses these friendly confines to jump-start another big season. The second baseman has yet to bat well, although the season is still fresh and it is too soon to draw any meaningful conclusions.

Finally, Zack Meisel of Cleveland.com wonders whether or not Jose Ramirez can become and everyday player for the Cleveland Indians. Just one year ago, he seemed to be a lock for consistent playing time, but a slow start to 2015 and Francisco Lindor’s emergence raised some serious questions for the switch hitter. Meisel notes that manager Terry Francona has said that he does not want to “pigeonhole” the youngster into simply being a utility player.

More from around the American League Central:

Cleveland Indians: Offense Provides Glimmer of Hope – Wahoo’s on First

Cleveland Indians-Chicago White Sox Series Preview – Wahoo’s on First

Can Jose Ramirez Become an Everyday Player for the Cleveland Indians? – Cleveland.com