Cleveland Indians: Jason Kipnis expected to be back for series in Chicago

Cleveland Indians fans will finally get to see Jason Kipnis in 2017 as he is expected to return for the weekend series against the Chicago White Sox.

If you like good news, the Cleveland Indians have some for you. It is not official yet, but it appears as if Jason Kipnis is ready to make his 2017 debut in his hometown of Chicago.

Terry Francona is teasing us a bit, but he wouldn’t share that news if it was just a 50/50 chance. So fans can expect Kipnis to return this weekend and finally make this lineup whole for the first time in 2017.

This is not an insult to Yandy Diaz, but Kipnis’ return gives the team what was expected to be the lineup heading into the season. His injury, along with Lonnie Chisenhall‘s, has resulted in a different lineup than most expected back when spring training began.

More from Away Back Gone

• Cleveland Guardians tantalizingly close to locking up AL Central tiebreakers
• Cleveland Guardians: Terry Francona becomes meme in profanity-laced ejection
• Say goodbye to defensive shifts and hello to bigger bases, pitch clock in 2023
• Cleveland Guardians: Shane Bieber second-fastest to 800 strikeouts in major-league history
• The next week will make or break the Cleveland Guardians’ season

Adding in Kipnis will bring another veteran presence to the lineup, and fans know he will be amped and ready to make a difference right away.

The fact he has been playing in minor league games should mean he isn’t coming in too cold at the plate as well.

This should signal the end of the roster moves for now, barring any short-term changes in the pitching staff, such as what was done with Nick Goody coming up for Shawn Armstrong.

And while it will likely result in Yandy Diaz being sent back to Columbus, fans should expect his return at some point this season.

Whether Diaz comes back to play in the infield or the outfield, it will be hard to keep him in Triple-A if he is dominating at the plate. The key will be to do well on offense and force himself into a full-time spot in Cleveland.

Next: Kurkjian interviews Guyer

But we can worry about all that later as it is time to get excited to see Kipnis back on the field for the first time since the World Series. He was a leader for the team a year ago and will only help the team improve upon his return.