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Cleveland Indians: Jason Kipnis batting sixth in his return

By Steven Kubitza

Nov 2, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Indians second baseman Jason Kipnis (22) and designated hitter Carlos Santana (41) celebrate after both scoring on a wild pitch by Chicago Cubs pitcher Jon Lester (34) in the 5th inning in game seven of the 2016 World Series at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 2, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Indians second baseman Jason Kipnis (22) and designated hitter Carlos Santana (41) celebrate after both scoring on a wild pitch by Chicago Cubs pitcher Jon Lester (34) in the 5th inning in game seven of the 2016 World Series at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Cleveland Indians welcome Jason Kipnis back to the team tonight, and he will slot in sixth in the starting lineup in his return.

Cleveland Indians fans were met with good news this afternoon when it was announced that Jason Kipnis is back and with the team for tonight’s game against the Chicago White Sox.

It stinks to see Yandy Diaz be sent down to Columbus, but the experience he gained for a few weeks with the team should help him immensely moving forward.

The move was expected, and gives the Indians one of their key players back. The talk of leadership has been brought up on some Indians broadcasts, and Kipnis should easily slot in as that veteran leader.

He enters the lineup in the number six spot, adding to the dominance, at least on paper, of the top two-thirds of this lineup.

The only weak spot in the lineup is the catcher spot, which is featuring Yan Gomes tonight, but it is still to early to make any rash conclusions.

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Kipnis’ return solidifies the roster for now, barring any injuries, as the expected Opening Day roster is now firmly in place. Considering he has been playing in minor league games since the season began, there should be no worries that he will get off to a slow start.

This doesn’t mean fans should expect him to come out and hit .500, but he wouldn’t be in the lineup if there were any lingering worries about him.

No matter how he plays tonight, it is just nice to see him back. After a 2016 season filled with so many key injuries, Indians fans want to see what this team can do with everyone healthy.

An 8-7 start without everyone healthy isn’t bad, and things should only improve now that the band is back together.

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