Unable to shake a hamstring injury, Jason Kipnis was placed on the 15-day DL Friday, retroactive to August 14. Kipnis has been one of the Cleveland Indians' best hitters since his call-up, batting .279 with 6 HR and a .950 OPS. The rookie will be replaced on the roster by Luis Valbuena, who has struggled with the big league club, but has seen a real surge in AAA this season, carrying a .299 BA, 16 HR and 71 RBI with Columbus.
↵The Tribe made another move as well, sending Ezequiel Carrera down, making way for Shelly Duncan. Carrera doesn't seem quite ready for the majors, and despite flashes of potential, was unable to sustain any consistency. He will play every day in Columbus and will definitely get the chance to show he belongs down the road. He's just 24, and much like Ben Revere in Minnesota, it is hard to ignore his speed (35 SB in 39 attempts with the Clippers).
↵We've seen plenty of Valbuena before, and if he is able to bring anything to the table more than the Four A player we've been used to, that would be great, but the loss of Kipnis really hurts. The Indians' offense has been shaky, at best, at times this season, and they will need the rest of the lineup to step it up if they hope to keep rolling in their quest for the Central Division title.
↵Kipnis is eligible to return August 29.