Cleveland Indians: Lonnie Chisenhall returns, Tyler Naquin sent down

The Cleveland Indians activated Lonnie Chisenhall this afternoon, and decided to send Tyler Naquin down to Columbus to clear a roster spot.

The Cleveland Indians were expected to activate Lonnie Chisenhall today, and the question turned to who would be sent down to the minors to clear a space. We now have our answer.

Tyler Naquin is now headed to Columbus, which may be a surprise to some fans. Abraham Almonte seemed to be the likely candidate after being the last man to make the final roster, but he has shown enough to keep his spot for now.

He has similar offensive stats to Naquin at this point, but his defense is much more of an asset to this team compared to Naquin’s.

Naquin can also benefit from this move. He now gets to go to Columbus and play every day, working on both his problems at the plate and in the field. He was rushed into action in 2016 after injuries and suspensions rocked the outfield, and even though he had a solid start he was never playing at a level that warranted a full-time spot.

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He may have not even been on the team at all if Almonte had not started the season with a suspension, but he did well by stepping up and being a decent player all year.

Almonte is now in a position where he must prove he is worthy of this spot. He and Austin Jackson will likely split time in center field, while Naquin will work to prove that he deserves one of those spots while he is in Columbus.

Fans know, or should know, that the roster in April may be much different when September rolls around. So while Naquin is sent down now, he is next in line to come up and take a spot if anyone is struggling or gets injured.

Next: Encarnacion after 8 games

But the good news is that Lonnie is back and ready to go. He is coming off a great 2016 season and should be able to provide a spark to the offensive struggles seen through the first eight games.