CLEVELAND – All signs point to left-hander David Huff making a spot start for the Indians on Sunday.

Huff, who began the season in Cleveland’s rotation, was scratched from his scheduled start for Triple-A Columbus on Friday. That would appear to signal that the left-hander is returning to the big leagues.

Huff also reportedly sent a Tweet to a Cleveland beat writer that indicated he would start Sunday in the series finale against Detroit.

“It’s not finalized, but David is a candidate,” said Indians manager Manny Acta.

Huff, who went 2-9 with a 6.04 ERA in 13 starts before his demotion to the minors, has made four starts for the Clippers (3-0, 4.15 ERA).

“We knew he was going to go down there and have good numbers because he’s been there, done that,” Acta said. “It’s not about that. It’s about working on the stuff we wanted him to work on, which is the command of his fastball.”

Sunday’s scheduled starter, right-hander Justin Masterson, will start Tuesday in Minnesota, following Monday’s starter, left-hander Aaron Laffey, to the mound.

Injury update

Shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera (fractured left forearm) had played in three rehab games for Class A Mahoning Valley (two) and Double-A Akron through Thursday, going 4-for-10 with two doubles and two RBIs. He played shortstop for the Aeros on Thursday and was expected to DH Friday in Akron. It appears Cabrera will be back on the big league level later this month.

“It could be 30 (at-bats). It could be less than 30,” Acta said. “We don’t have a timetable just yet. We want to make sure he’s fine when he comes up here because he hasn’t played in two months.”

Outfielder Shin-Soo Choo (right thumb sprain) has begun hitting off a tee and Acta said he expects him to take batting practice sometime this weekend. Choo, who is eligible to leave the disabled list Sunday, won’t necessarily require a rehab assignment.

“We’re not anticipating that,” Acta said. “He keeps himself in such good shape.”

Got the fever

Third baseman Jhonny Peralta was not in the lineup, just getting over a fever that sidelined him for a workout Thursday at Progressive Field. Acta said the move was a precautionary one and that Peralta was feeling better and available to pinch hit.

In what might come as surprise, Peralta entered Friday leading all American League third baseman with a .979 fielding percentage. He had committed five errors in 82 games.

Bye-bye

The Indians officially released veteran catcher Mike Redmond, who was designated for assignment Friday to clear room for Chris Gimenez.

Redmond, 39, hit .206 with five RBIs in 22 games for Cleveland.

Minor details

Columbus RHP Carlos Carrasco was impressive in the Clippers’ first game of the second half Thursday – a 6-1 victory over Norfolk – allowing just a run on two hits, while striking out six over seven innings. Carrasco (8-4, 4.10) is a candidate to join the big league roster before season’s end.

• Cleveland’s opening day catcher Lou Marson has struggled since his demotion to Columbus, entering Friday batting just .158 (12-for-76) with two homers and four RBIs in 23 games.

Roundin’ third

The Indians have been shutout seven times this season, which is the most in the majors.

• With an average age of 27.43, Cleveland owns the youngest 25-man roster in baseball.

• A man throwing out one of the ceremonial first pitches wore a “Quitness” T-shirt to the mound.

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

SHEFFIELD LAKE — Just hours after photos were released to the media yesterday, a pregnant Elyria woman turned herself into police and admitted she had stolen a purse and used the credit cards in it on a shopping spree, according to police.

Sheffield Lake police Capt. Tony Campo said the woman, who is from Elyria, is 20 years old and is overdue to give birth, came to the police station about 3:30 p.m. and told officers that she “saw her pictures in the newspapers’ ” websites.”

Campo said yesterday that a purse had been stolen Monday from a car parked at Lakewood Beach park. Credit cards from the purse were used later that night to wrack up more than $200 in purchases at Super Wal-Mart in Elyria, and the woman, along with a man and her two young children, were caught on security cameras.

Campo said that he didn’t arrest the woman when she turned herself in due to the fact that she was so close to giving birth.

He said charges will “absolutely” follow, and he expects the charges to be forgery and theft, but he added “it will be up to the grand jury.”

Campo said the woman was “very cooperative” and he expects she will continue to cooperate, adding that he knows where to find her and that she had family local.

Campo said the woman didn’t give any reason for her crimes other than saying that she had made a “dumb mistake.”

He’s just happy for the quick resolution.

“The media worked,” he said. “At this time yesterday, we didn’t have any idea who this woman was.”

Campo said the man who was with the woman in security photos didn’t have anything to do with the crime.

ELYRIA — Two teen males were shot in or near the Toy Box Nightclub in downtown Elyria overnight, according to Elyria police.

Officers were called to the Toy Box, 581 Broad St., a little after 2 a.m. for a report of shots fired and “people running everywhere.”

According to Elyria police Capt. Dan Jaykel, two people were shot, both in their legs.

Robert Beane, 19, of Lorain, was taken to EMH Regional Medical Center, where he was treated and released, according to a hospital spokeswoman.

Marlon Capers, 17, was grazed by a bullet and was taken to Community Health Partners in Lorain, Jaykel said. His condition was not immediately available.

According to a police report, an officer was in the area of Sports Bar and Toy Box on Broad Street and heard “numerous gunshots being rapidly fired from the area.”

The “officer observed large amounts of unknown subjects running from the area in several directions,” the report said.

Also according to the report, “There were numerous vehicles fleeing the area at high rates of speed in several directions.”

Police stopped a red pickup truck that was taking Beane to the hospital. The vehicle, driven by Kereem Tucker, 24, of Lorain, was found to contain crack cocaine, Jaykel said. He also said another passenger, Matthew Bell, 24, of Elyria, was arrested on a weapons charge after a handgun fell from his pants. Jaykel said it wasn’t clear whether these individuals were involved in the shooting.

Officers also arrested Marquise Hollis on a warrant out of the Sandusky Police Department.

According to the report, officers pounded on the door to the Toy Box for several minutes before being allowed into the locked door and found the staff had swept and washed the floor and cleaned the bathroom down. The staff claimed to have no knowledge of the shooting.

Hollis was taken to the Elyria City Jail to be picked up by Sandusky.

Check back at Chroniclet.com for more on this story as it becomes available.

The Indians were successful in at least one area during the first half of the season — finding play­ing time for young players who may be part of the club’s core group moving forward.

Expect to see more of the same in the second half.

In last place in the Central Division and owning the sec­ond- worst record in the American League (34-54), the Indians enter the final two-plus months of the regular sea­son playing for the future, with the young players that already litter Cleveland’s lineup and 25-man roster auditioning for roles next year and beyond.

It’s probably not what the Indians nor their fans envisioned at the start of the season, but it’s reality for a low-budget team that has been wrecked by injuries and performance issues from the get-go.

Even with the Indians well out of contention, there will still be things worth watching, one of them, mega-prospect Carlos Santana, who bar­ring a shocking setback, has already solidified a spot in 2011.

Though he hasn’t been around long, thanks to a late promotion from Triple-A Columbus, Santana looks the part of a starting catcher at the plate and behind it. The Dominican has had problems communicating with a handful of pitchers, but that has been the only knock against him.

Catcher Carlos Santana, above, is certain to be one of the young players the Indians count on in the second half, while pitcher Carlos Carrasco is expected to get a chance to show what he can do, too. (AP photo.)

A future roster spot is also all but secured for first baseman Matt LaPorta, who has improved his status during his second stint with the Indians this season.

LaPorta began the year on the big league roster before slumping and losing playing time to veteran Russell Branyan, who was traded in late June. Since LaPorta’s return, he has displayed the power and production the Indians always thought he possessed.

The verdict is still out on nearly all of the other newbies on the big league level — outfielders Trevor Crowe and Michael Brantley, infielders Jason Donald, Jayson Nix and Anderson Hernandez and reliever Hector Ambriz.

They all have shown flashes but haven’t done enough to be counted on in 2011, though they figure to get the opportunity to prove their worth over the final 74 games.

Most of the Indians’ top prospects are already on the major league level, but there still figures to be some new and old faces arriving during the September call-up period, maybe before.

Expect to see Triple-A Columbus right-hander Carlos Carrasco, who, according to manager Manny Acta, nearly made the big league rotation out of spring training. Carrasco, who was acquired in the Cliff Lee trade with the Phillies last year, has spent the entire season at Columbus, where he hasn’t been dominant but has pitched well enough to get a look from the Indians in the second half.

Carrasco’s rotation mate in Columbus, right-hander Josh Tomlin, has been impressive and could warrant a promotion. The same goes for Clipper Jordan Brown, who had an outside shot at making the big league roster as an extra outfielder before sustaining a knee injury shortly into training camp.

A number of players that began the season in Cleveland — opening-day starters Luis Valbuena (second base) and Lou Marson (catcher), as well as left-hander David Huff, who spent the majority of the first half in the Indians’ rotation — could be back.

Though the second-half focus will be on developing young players, there will still be a significant veteran flavor.

The Indians are awaiting the return of shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera and right fielder Shin-Soo Choo, both players coming off injuries.

Cabrera (fractured left forearm) is expected to begin an extended minor league rehab assignment shortly after the All-Star break, with hopes of returning in late July or early August. Choo (right thumb strain) has avoided surgery to this point and is projected to return around the same time.

All-Star Fausto Carmona and Rookie of the Year candidate Mitch Talbot will remain in the rotation, while designated hitter Travis Hafner continues his comeback season. Outside of an early season stumble, setup man Chris Perez has been solid, the right-hander expected to take over the closer role from Kerry Wood in 2011.

Some veterans could be on the move at the July 31 trading deadline, with Cleveland likely willing to entertain offers for Wood, outfielder Austin Kearns, third baseman Jhonny Peralta and starting pitcher Jake Westbrook.

All are in the final year of their contracts with the club, with longtime Indians Westbrook (10 years) and Peralta (eight years) possibly playing their final season in Cleveland.

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