CLEVELAND — Right ankle inflammation kept Travis Hafner out of the lineup for the second consecutive game Friday, but the Indians aren’t concerned that the injury is serious.

The Indians were still awaiting results from an MRI performed on the ankle Friday, but manager Manny Acta said prior to the series opener with Detroit that Hafner was available to pinch hit.

“We want to make sure everything is OK,” Acta said. “We want to be on the safe side and give him one more day off.”

Hafner, who is off to a promising start — .342 with four home runs and 11 RBIs in 21 games — sustained the injury while sliding into home plate in the first inning of a 7-2 victory over the Royals on Wednesday. He did not take batting practice Friday.

As he did Thursday, Shelley Duncan replaced Hafner at designated hitter and in the fifth spot in the batting order.

Duncan, who entered Friday hitting .348 (8-for-23) with a homer and five RBIs in nine games — has been a valuable part-time player for the Indians the past two seasons.

“That’s his responsibility,” Acta said. “From Day 1, he has never been offered a fulltime job. You have to understand your role and prepare for it.

“He’s done a nice job for us. He’s a big part of our clubhouse. He’s a high-character guy.”

Duncan and second baseman Orlando Cabrera are part of a mix of veterans on Cleveland’s roster that Acta believes has provided leadership for a youth-laden club.

“It’s important to have high-character guys,” Acta said. “When you have high-character guys around like we have, it makes the job of the manager and the coaches easier. Guys tend to listen to their peers a lot.”

Wait and see

Though he is expected to make at least two starts in place of an injured Carlos Carrasco, Acta would only commit to one for right-hander Alex White, who will make his big league debut tonight.

“He’s going to start (today) and then we’ll go from there,” Acta said. “If I tell you two and he gives up 55 runs, does that mean he gets another one? Hopefully Alex will take advantage of his opportunity.”

The Indians will officially promote White (1-0, 1.90 ERA in four starts) from Triple-A Columbus today. They will have to clear a spot on their 25-man roster, with reliever Frank Herrmann expected to be optioned back to the minors. A spot on the 40-man roster will also have to be cleared for White, who will wear No. 32.

Crowded house

The Indians added two players to Columbus’ roster Friday, activating infielder Jason Donald and assigning infielder Josh Rodriguez to the Clippers.

Donald was Cleveland’s projected starter at third base when training camp opened but was sidelined early by a left hand fracture. He hit .200 (5-for-25) with two runs in eight games of a rehab assignment with Columbus and Double-A Akron.

Rodriguez was re-acquired by the Indians for $25,000 after being selected by Pittsburgh in the Rule V Draft this offseason. Rodriguez had to remain on the big league roster the entire season or the Pirates had to return him or another player to the Indians at half the price he was acquired for.

Rodriguez made Pittsburgh’s opening day roster but was designated for assignment after going 1-for-12 in seven games.

The Indians have a wealth of infielders at the Triple-A level, including top prospects Lonnie Chisenhall, Cord Phelps and Jason Kipnis, as well as Luis Valbuena, who spent parts of last year as the Indians’ starting second baseman.

One of them could be removed from the 40-man roster to clear a spot for White.

Miller time?

Right-hander Adam Miller, once considered the Indians’ top pitching prospect, has cleared another hurdle on his comeback trail.

Miller, whose career has been sidelined by multiple surgeries on his right middle finger, was assigned to advanced Class A Kinston’s roster after spending the last month in Goodyear, Ariz., at extended spring training.

The 31st overall pick in the 2003 draft began his career as a hard-throwing starter that gained fame by topping 100-mph at his first big league training camp, but he will pitch exclusively as a reliever at Kinston.

Miller, 26, hasn’t appeared in a professional game since May of 2008.

Minor details

Columbus beat Gwinett 2-1 Thursday for its eighth straight win, with right-hander Zach McAllister (4-0, 3.38 ERA) getting the decision after pitching seven scoreless innings on six hits and striking out six. Third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall (.270) went 2-for-4 with his second homer of the season. … Akron’s Cory Burns had converted all seven of his save opportunities through Thursday. Burns, an eighth-round draft pick (2009) out of the University of Arizona, entered Friday with a 1.35 ERA and 15 strikeouts over 6 2/3 innings. … Class A Lake County outfielder Carlos Moncrief was recently named Midwest League player of the week. The 14th-round draft pick in 2008, entered Friday leading the ML with 19 runs and ranked third with 12 extra-base hits.

Roundin’ third

Shin-Soo Choo’s batting average was at .250 entering Friday, the right fielder hitting .309 (21-for-68) with three homers and 13 RBIs over his last 18 games. … The Indians entered Friday with a 13-2 record when scoring first. … Tonight, 6:05, STO/WTAM 1100-AM/WEOL 930-AM. White (first career start) vs. Porcello (1-2, 4.76).

Contact Chris Assenheimer at 329-7136 or cassenheimer@chroniclet.com.

YORK TWP. — A Grafton man was one of two people killed in a head-on crash overnight in Medina County.

Jeffery A. Bristow, 46, died overnight after being transported to MetroHealth Medical Center in Cleveland, according to the State Highway Patrol.

David A. Smith, 22, of Brunswick, was also pronounced dead upon arrival at Medina Hospital due to unspecified injuries he sustained in the crash, according to a report from the Highway Patrol’s Medina post. The crash occurred about 10:11 p.m. Thursday.

Isabelle J. Striker, 18, of Medina, was listed in stable condition after being transported by emergency helicopter to MetroHealth. She was a passenger in the car driven by Smith.

The driver of the second vehicle, Grafton resident Jeffery A. Bristow, 46, died overnight after being transported to Cleveland MetroHealth, according to the OHP report.

Smith was driving westbound along West Smith Road in a 1999 red Ford Mustang when Bristow’s 2007 purple Dodge Charger heading east drove left of the center line and struck Smith’s car head on, the report states. West Smith Road was reportedly wet.

Adam Skinner, a witness of the crash, said this morning that he does not believe Bristow drifted left of center along West Smith Road.

“He was exactly behind me the whole time, and I had to break right to avoid (Smith’s) car,” said Skinner, who was driving to work Thursday night at Carlisle Brake & Friction on Lake Road.

Skinner noted he heard a “big boom” from his truck and stopped to assist crash victims.

“Both cars were pretty mauled,” he said. “I was there until the LifeFlight.”

Alcohol or drug use are not apparent factors in the crash, according to the Highway Patrol. The accident remains under investigation.

In addition to the Highway Patrol, the Medina County Sheriff’s Office and York Township and Erhart Township fire departments responded to the accident.

Contact Steve Grazier at (330) 721-40-12 or sgrazier@medina-gazette.com.

CLEVELAND — The beat continued for the Indians on Thursday night.

With Fausto Carmona pitching like an ace and Cleveland’s offense at full throttle once again, the Indians routed the Royals 8-2 to complete a three-game sweep of their Central Division rivals.

Cleveland’s 10th straight victory at home improved the Indians to 16-8 on the season, their best start since 2007 — the last time they qualified for the postseason.

It was the fourth series sweep of the year for the Indians, who own a 4 1/2-game lead on the rest of the division, with every team in the Central other than Cleveland, under .500 on the year.

“It was a very good series,” manager Manny Acta said. “It seemed like we did just about everything in the three three games. “I’m proud of these guys. They’re staying even-keel. They deserve all the credit.”

As they have for much of the season, the Indians got quality efforts from their rotation against the Royals, culminating with a strong outing from Carmona, who was coming off a sub par start his last time out against the Twins.

Carmona (2-3, 5.15 ERA) allowed two runs on five hits over seven innings, shutting Kansas City out on three hits over the first six innings.

“I don’t think about (the Minnesota start). I just think about tonight,” said Carmona, who struck out two and walked two. “I was ready to go to the next inning.

“I think the team is playing really good. I was happy they played good again tonight.”

Carmona was backed by an offensive assault, that just like Wednesday night, began early.

Season-long slumpers Shin-Soo Choo and Carlos Santana provided the first-inning spark, hitting back-to-back two-out home runs off Royals starter Kyle Davies, who allowed all eight of Cleveland’s runs over just 3 1/3 innings.

“I can see that both of them are coming out of it,” Acta said. “It was nice to see.”

“I am feeling more confident,” said Santana, who went 1-for-4 after entering the night batting just .189. “Every day I am feeling more comfortable.”

The consecutive homers were two of four from the Indians, who hit five in the series opener Tuesday.

Grady Sizemore, who has been surging since leaving the disabled list, hit his fourth homer to lead off the third inning, and Shelley Duncan also hit a solo shot in the Indians’ decisive five-run fourth.

Sizemore going deep against the Royals was not a rare sight. Of his 133 career homers, 24 have come against Kansas City. The three-time All-Star and two-time Gold Glove award winner has collected an extra-base hit in all nine of his games and has seven RBIs over the span.

Duncan was in the lineup in place of designated hitter Travis Hafner, who was a late scratch with inflammation in his right ankle.

Acta said Hafner, who is off to a fast start (.342, four homers and 11 RBIs in 21 games), will undergo an MRI today. The manager said Hafner took batting practice but was not able to run full-go.

Home cooking has been hot and plentiful for the Indians, whose 10-game winning streak at Progressive Field is their longest home streak since they won 13 straight in 1996 en route to their second straight division title.

Cleveland has hit 22 of its 29 home runs at home.

“We have swung the bat very well at home,” said Acta, whose club entered Thursday hitting .298 with a 6.2 runs per game average at home, as opposed to .248 and 4.4 on the road.

The Indians’ 16 wins in April matched the club record and is just the fourth time in franchise history that it has been accomplished, the last time coming in 1999, another playoff year.

The Indians are undoubtedly rolling, but aren’t looking ahead or planning their playoff trips yet.

“We’re taking it day by day, that’s all we’re doing,” Duncan said. “We’re not looking at series sweeps or who we play next.”

Contact Chris Assenheimer at 329-7136 or cassenheimer@chroniclet.com. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook.

The Indians completed a three-game sweep of the Royals with an 8-2 win Thursday night at Progressive Field.

It was Cleveland’s 10th straight win at home.

Fausto Carmona got the win, allowing two runs on five hits over seven innings. The right-hander was backed by four home runs.