The Cleveland Indians, already smarting from the loss of Grady Sizemore to a knee injury, now must cope with the loss of designated hitter Travis Hafner, who has a strained right oblique muscle. Hafner sustained the injury at some point after his 2-for-4 performance on Tuesday, and while he was considered day-to-day on Thursday, the Indians decided to put him on the DL when they returned to Cleveland, and he should be out three to four weeks.
Travis Hafner Injury: Oblique Tweak Sends DH To DL
Hafner was off to a fantastic start, hitting .345/.409/.549, and was one of the hot hitters responsible for the Indians' hot start, just like Sizemore. To replace Hafner -- and utility infielder Luis Valbuena, who was demoted today -- on the 25-man roster, the Indians have recalled outfielder Ezequiel Carrera and reliever Frank Herrmann.
Carlos Santana, Matt LaPorta, Shelley Duncan, Travis Buck, Michael Brantley, and, uh, Adam Everett have all seen time at DH this year, so it's possible that one or two of them will take over for Hafner. Carrera was hitting .317/.401/.423 at triple-A Columbus this season, so he might get some of Hafner's at-bats as well.
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