Fresh off a sweep at the hands of the Tigers, the Indians didn't really need to get in more injury trouble, but more injury trouble is what they've gotten into. Designated hitter Travis Hafner left Sunday's game with a foot injury, and on Monday, the Indians have placed Hafner on the DL.
Travis Hafner Injury: Foot Strain Disables Indians DH
Hafner's dealing with a strained right foot, and the Indians have recalled Josh Judy to take his roster spot. On the one hand, Hafner's a pretty substantial loss, as the slugger owns a 128 OPS+ that's among the best on the team. On the other hand, Hafner's batted just .220 since the All-Star break with three home runs, so he hasn't exactly made a big contribution for a while. There are more important players the Indians could have lost.
With the Indians still hanging in the race, expect this to fuel speculation that they'll try to make a waiver move for current Twin and ex-Indian Jim Thome. Thome has been placed on waivers, and in Cleveland, he could obviously fill a hole. There's no guarantee that Thome could get to the Indians unclaimed, and there's no guarantee they could work a deal out, but the match is there.
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