CLEVELAND – A lingering injury that kept outfielder Michael Brantley out of the lineup on various occasions over the past month has ended his season.
Brantley was transferred from the 15-day to the 60-day disabled list Sunday and will undergo surgery early this week on a broken bone in his right hand.
Brantley missed a handful of games but was able to stay off the disabled list with what the Indians originally thought was a wrist injury. He was still expected to return before the season was complete, but the Indians determined over the past week that the injury was more severe than originally thought.
Brantley batted .266 with seven home runs and 46 RBIs in 114 games.
Because Cleveland is already down an outfielder in right fielder Shin-Soo Choo, who is expected to miss an undisclosed amount of games with a left oblique injury, Jerad Head was promoted from Triple-A Columbus. Reliever Nick Hagadone was optioned back to the Clippers without making an appearance.
The injuries have been mounting for the Indians, who have seven players on the disabled list and have used it more than any other team in the American League save the Twins.
“It’s a challenge but everybody has issues,” manager Manny Acta said. “We lost our whole outfield (Brantley, Choo and Grady Sizemore) and our DH (Travis Hafner), but we’re not going to sit here and complain. I knew we couldn’t survive some of these injuries, but we’ve battled.
“We have to continue to battle. We can’t call the commissioner and ask for a month off.”
• Indians head trainer Lonnie Soloff said it was not “inconceivable” for Sizemore (right knee contusion) to begin playing in minor league rehab games this week. Sizemore has taken batting practice and participated in a number of baseball activities, running the bases for the first time Sunday.
• According to Soloff, Josh Tomlin (sprained ligament right elbow) will undergo an examination in two weeks to determine a recovery process for the right-hander. If it is not positive, Tomlin (12-7, 4.25 ERA) will most likely be shut down for the season.
• The Indians are hopeful right-hander Carlos Carrasco (right elbow inflammation) will begin a throwing program this week. If and when Carrasco leaves the DL, he will have to serve a six-game suspension.
Rest day
As was expected, Jim Thome was out of the lineup Sunday, but did make a pinch-hit appearance in the eighth inning, striking out on three pitches from Royals reliever Greg Holland with a runner on first and the Indians trailing by a run.
Thome, who hit his first homer Saturday night since arriving in a trade from Minnesota, will not play every day and is expected to sit in day games after night ones.
Head’s up
Head made his big league debut, going 1-for-3 with a single in his first at-bat.
Head, 29, hit .284 with a team-leading 24 homers and 70 RBIs in 114 games at Columbus. He went undrafted before signing with the Indians as a minor league free agent in 2005.
“This guy has worked so hard to earn the right to be here,” Acta said. “It’s a credit to him.”
Head’s brother Stephen was a second-round draft pick of Cleveland’s in 2005, spending five seasons in the organization but never making it to the majors.
Next up
The Indians begin a four-game series with the Oakland A’s at Progressive Field tonight at 7:05.
David Huff (1-2, 2.70 ERA) opens the set for Cleveland, opposing RHP Brandon McCarthy (7-6, 3.72), while the Indians have yet to name a starter for Tuesday (7:05) to face RHP Trevor Cahill (9-12, 4.13). It is expected to be right-hander Jeanmar Gomez (0-2, 5.70).
Ubaldo Jimenez (8-10, 4.71) starts for Cleveland on Wednesday against RHP Rich Harden (4-2, 4.55), while Fausto Carmona (6-12, 4.85) goes for the Indians in the series finale Thursday, Oakland countering with LHP Gio Gonzalez (11-11, 3.45).
Minor details
Veteran first baseman Nick Johnson has done little to show the Indians he could help their sagging offense, batting just .201 with six homers and 12 RBIs in 49 games for Columbus through Saturday.
• Columbus third baseman Jared Goedert went 3-for-4 with a double and three of the Clippers’ four RBIs Saturday in a 4-3 win over Indianapolis. Goedert, once considered a candidate to start at third for the Indians, had his average up to .266 through Saturday during an injury-plagued season for the ninth-round draft pick in 2006.
Roundin’ third
The Indians fell to 22-24 in one-run games, 16-8 at home.
• Cleveland didn’t record an extra-base hit, snapping it’s streak of consecutive games with at least one at 27.
• Of Asdrubal Cabrera’s 21 homers on the season, 12 have given the Indians the lead.
Contact Chris Assenheimer at 329-7136 or cassenheimer@chroniclet.com. Fan him on Facebook and follow him on Twitter.
