CLEVELAND — Under normal circumstances, banged up shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera would have taken the night off Wednesday. But there is nothing normal about Cabrera when it comes to sitting out.

“He never wants out of the lineup,” said manager Manny Acta. “I have to negotiate hard with him anytime I want to give him a day off.”

Cabrera was in jeopardy of missing his first game of the season after rolling his right ankle Tuesday on an off-balance throw in the second inning.

He stayed on the field for the remainder of the inning and played short in the third before being lifted for pinch hitter Lonnie Chisenhall in the fourth — but only after some prodding from Acta.

“He didn’t want to come out of the game,” Acta said. “He was saying it was still early and we could rally. He was feeling so good he sent text messages (after the game) about him being able to play (Wednesday.)”

This ankle injury came a day after Cabrera appeared to be battling a leg issue for much of the night in the series opener against New York and wore an ice pack on the leg after the game.

Cabrera’s desire to play through pain was evident last year when he returned prematurely from a fractured left forearm.

“He sacrificed his numbers and everything else,” Acta said. “We could see he wasn’t 100 percent. He came back early because he wanted to play. For us as managers, you want 25 guys like that.”

Cabrera’s goal during spring training was to play in all 162 games this season, but that likely won’t happen, with Acta hinting that his all-star shortstop would get a day off in the upcoming four-game series against Toronto.

Back in there

As was expected, first baseman Matt LaPorta was activated from the disabled list, where he spent three weeks with a sprained right ankle. He was in the lineup, batting eighth.

Reliever Josh Judy was optioned back to Triple-A Columbus to clear room on the roster for LaPorta, who entered Wednesday batting .242 with eight home runs and 31 RBIs in 59 games.

“It means a lot to our lineup,” Acta said. “Despite being up and down a bit, he ranks up there in home runs (third) and RBIs (fifth) on our club.”

Slidin’ Sizemore

Grady Sizemore has struggled at the plate for the majority of the season, entering Wednesday batting .230 with eight homers and 24 RBIs in 52 games (68 strikeouts).

“What we’ve seen is clearly a player with the ability to be a good major league player,” general manager Chris Antonetii said. “Anybody’s going to go through stretches when he’s less productive than others.”

Sizemore and struggling right-hander Fausto Carmona are in the final year of their contracts, with the Indians holding options for next season on both — Sizemore ($8.5 million), Carmona ($7 million).

“Our collective focus is on this year’s team,” Antonetti said. “We’ll address those issues in the offseason.”

Next up

The Indians continue the homestand with a four-game series against Toronto that begins tonight at 7:05.

RHP Zach McAllister (0-0, 0.00 ERA) will make his big league debut for Cleveland in the opening game, opposing RHP Carlos Villanueva (5-1, 3.24).

Mitch Talbot (2-5, 5.60) starts for the Indians on Friday (7:05) against LHP Jo Jo Reyes (3-7, 4.85), while Josh Tomlin (10-4, 3.78) goes Saturday (7:05) against RHP Brandon Morrow (5-4, 4.73).

Carlos Carrasco (8-5, 3.95) pitches the series finale for Cleveland on Sunday (1:05), while the Jays counter with LHP Brett Cecil (1-4, 6.37).

Draft pick

The Indians have yet to sign their first-round draft pick (eighth overall) from this year’s draft, shortstop Francisco Lindor.

Cleveland scouting director Brad Grant didn’t predict a problem agreeing to terms with the 17-year-old native of Puerto Rico, and Antonetti didn’t seem concerned.

“We feel confident that Francisco wants to play baseball and wants to begin his professional career,” Antonetti said. “There is collective interest and we will work hard to bring him into the organization.”

Lindor has committed to Florida State University.

Minor details

Reliever Chen-Chang Lee did not allow a run in his first four games for Columbus through Tuesday, striking out 12 over 6 2/3 innings. The non-drafted free agent (2008) from Taiwan was promoted from Double-A Akron after going 2-1 with a 2.50 ERA and 56 strikeouts in 39 2/3 innings (23 games) for the Aeros. … Akron LHP T.J. McFarland (5-4, 4.09 ERA) was named Eastern League pitcher of the week (June 27-July 3) after leading the EL in WHIP (0.33), opposing batting average (.048) and ERA (0.00). McFarland is a fourth-round draft pick in 2007.

Roundin’ third

Acta said outfielder Travis Buck (hamstring) was available off the bench and would most likely be in the lineup tonight. Buck hasn’t played since Friday. … In honor of Asdrubal Cabrera (No. 13) and Chris Perez (No. 54) being selected to the All-Star Game, the Indians are offering $13 tickets in the mezzanine, lower reserved, upper box and upper reserved sections, and $54 tickets in the outfield club seats. The promotion begins Thursday and runs through Sunday. … Tonight, 7:05, STO/WTAM 1100-AM/WEOL 930-AM.

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

LORAIN — A Lorain man who was being turned over to sheriff’s deputies on a warrant had to be pepper-sprayed when he struggled with deputies. After that, he deficated in the back of a cruiser.

Terry Atkinson, 59, is charged with resisting arrest and disorderly conduct persisting.

Lorain officers had found Atkinson highly intoxicated and combative, according to a sheriff’s report, and took him to 3810 Broadway to be turned over on the warrant.

Atkinson, who had great difficulty standing and was slurring so badly he couldn’t be understood, complied with putting his hands on the trunk of the cruiser but refused to be handcuffed, the report said.

He then pulled away from deputies and balled his hand into a fist. Atkinson again ignored deputies’ demands to put his hands behind his back and was pepper-sprayed and finally subdued.

Atkinson was then put in the rear of the cruiser and defecated while being taken to jail, the report said.

CLEVELAND — It’s been awhile since the Indians were buyers at Major League Baseball’s trading deadline. But with the club in first place and more than half the season complete, general manager Chris Antonetti hinted that this might be the time.

“The plan has always been to win games, get to the postseason and win championships,” Antonetti said. “We’re in first place in July, so we’ll continue to explore ways to improve the team and improve our level of competitiveness.

“We’re open to any way we can improve the team, whether that be externally or internally. External options are so difficult to predict, but I can tell you we’re going to explore all those options.”

This being the low-budget Indians, money will likely be an issue where any potential trade is concerned. But Antonetti said Tuesday that ownership has signed off on exploring moves outside the organization, as long as they don’t mortgage the future.

“It’s always going to be a factor economically,” Antonetti said. “We have to be mindful of what expense it has to the long-term development. (President/CEO Paul Dolan) has encouraged us to continue to explore ways to improve the team.”

If the Indians do make a move outside the organization, it is expected to come in the position-player department to assist a sporadic offense that is without a key cog in injured right fielder Shin-Soo Choo.

Outside of poor performances from starters Fausto Carmona and Mitch Talbot, pitching hasn’t been a problem.

“The nature of the job is to be concerned with everything,” Antonetti said. “What might be a strength now, might not be two weeks from now. But our pitching staff has done a very good job. Our bullpen has been consistent throughout the season. The offense has been the one area that’s been the least consistent.”

With a wealth of teams still in contention, the Indians won’t be the only ones looking to improve for a postseason run. It has affected the atmosphere leading up to the July 31 deadline.

“It’s slowed down the process,” Antonetti said. “But the dialogue between teams has picked up as we approach (the deadline). There’s been a lot more activity than there was a week ago.”

Few figured the Indians would be in this position this far into the season. But thanks to a fast start, contending isn’t such a long shot — certainly not in a mediocre Central Division.

“We had expectations at the beginning of the season,” Antonetti said. “We expected to compete and I think there was a collective belief within the clubhouse that we had a talented roster and that we could compete if we played well.”

Now, Antonetti’s job is to see whether there is anything out there that makes them play even better.

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

CLEVELAND — It was an all-around sour night at Progressive Field on Tuesday.

Asdrubal Cabrera, right, tests his ankle as a trainer watches in the third inning. (AP photo.)

Not only did the Indians lose a game to the dreaded New York Yankees and former Cleveland ace CC Sabathia, they also lost All-Star shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera to an injury.

With Sabathia dominating his former mates for seven innings, the Indians limped to a 9-2 defeat, as the Yankees’ vaunted lineup outhit Cleveland’s inconsistent one 17-7.

In the midst of the loss, Cabrera left the game after suffering a right ankle sprain while making an off-balance throw to second base and landing awkwardly on his right foot. He is listed as day-to-day, but it would be surprising to see Cabrera in the lineup for the series finale tonight.

A pair of baseball’s hottest pitchers — Sabathia and Cleveland’s Carlos Carrasco — were on the mound to start the second game of the series, but only one looked the part.

Sabathia (12-4) allowed just five hits — one over the first three innings — and struck out 11. Carrasco, who owned a 7-2 record and 2.55 ERA over his previous nine starts, was in trouble early, allowing five runs in the second inning. He gave up six runs on 10 hits in just four innings.

With Sabathia in control, the second inning spelled doom for Carrasco and the Indians.

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“That second inning pretty much did us in,” manager Manny Acta said. “That was too much against Sabathia. Carlos didn’t have very good fastball command and I didn’t feel he was aggressive with his fastball.”

After allowing a one-out single to Nick Swisher in the second, Carrasco walked two straight to load the bases and could have gotten out of it when Francisco Cervelli grounded to Cabrera on a tailor-made double-play ball. But second baseman Cord Phelps made a poor throw on the turn and bounced the ball to first baseman Carlos Santana, who couldn’t come up with the throw.

Derek Jeter followed with a two-run double and Curtis Granderson hit his first of two home runs off Carrasco for two more runs and a 5-0 New York lead.

“We have to turn that double play but the reason we were in that situation was because we walked two hitters at the bottom of the order,” Acta said. “It’s part of the game. You have to turn the page. You still have to attack hitters and be aggressive.”

Carrasco’s performance paled in comparison to his last start against the Yankees — a dominant effort in New York (seven shutout innings, five hits and seven strikeouts in a 1-0 win June 13).

“I didn’t have my fastball command last time but I was able to find it,” said Carrasco, who walked the bases loaded in the first inning at New York but was able to emerge unscathed. “This time, I didn’t do that. I tried to do better, but I allowed another run (in the fourth on Granderson’s leadoff homer).”

Sabathia, whom Carrasco beat in New York, toyed with Indians hitters as the game wore on. He allowed a leadoff single to Austin Kearns followed by a walk to Phelps in the fifth before striking out Lou Marson, Michael Brantley and Lonnie Chisenhall.

In the seventh, Sabathia surrendered a leadoff double to Grady Sizemore and a one-out walk to Phelps before striking out Marson and Brantley again.

“We don’t match up very good against him,” Acta said. “Our main guys in the lineup hit from the left side and he’s very good against lefties.”

The Indians employed three left-handed hitters — Sizemore, Hafner and Brantley — with the trio combining to go 2-for-12 with six strikeouts. Sizemore got both hits.

Jeter, who went hitless in his first game off the disabled list Monday, went 2-for-6, giving him 2,996 career hits on his quest for 3,000.

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