Franmil Reyes Providing Glimpse of Impressive Cleveland Lineup
Franmil Reyes returned to the Cleveland Indians lineup over the weekend after missing six weeks with an oblique injury. He’s wasted no time contributing, notching six hits in 14 at-bats, capped off with an impressive five RBIs against Tampa Bay Monday night, including a two-run home run in the fifth inning that tied the game at five.
It’s a welcomed return for the Franimal, but Cleveland’s offense was no slouch in Reyes’s absence, leading all of baseball in June with a .347 average with runners in scoring position.
The Indians also scored 128 runs in the month and had a team batting average (.252) that put them in the top half of the Majors. Not bad considering where the offense started the season.
The Rosarios – Amed and Eddie (who has now landed on the IL himself) – led the way with scorching-hot months, while the emergence of Bobby Bradley brought a new dynamic to a lineup that was truly feeling the loss of Reyes, who had last played on May 22, hurting himself while taking a swing against the Minnesota Twins.
But with Reyes back in the picture, fans are getting a glimpse at a lineup that, when healthy, could be something truly special. Or at least better than league average most of the time, which certainly feels pretty special.
Monday’s lineup against the Rays is just a taste of what could come. Reyes was naturally slated to hit cleanup, Eddie Rosario fifth, and Harold Ramirez, having emerged as nothing short of a revelation, batting sixth.
Bradley was pushed down to seventh in the order against the left-hander Rich Hill. If you’re in a situation where you have the luxury of the newly reformed Bobby Bradley hitting seventh, you’re living the good life.
Reyes hitting cleanup of course also means the added protection for Jose Ramirez that is so desperately needed. Ramirez, selected to his third All-Star appearance, could be in for another big, MVP-like second half should he and Reyes both stay healthy.
The evidence of this lineup’s prowess was on full display Monday night, as the offense erupted for eight runs against one of the best bullpens in baseball.
The only problem is that Cleveland faced a bullpen implosion of its own and ultimately lost 9-8, dropping its seventh straight game and falling further out of the playoff picture.
With an obscene number of injuries and ineffective replacements plaguing the pitching staff, it’s clear the offense has now become a legitimate strength of this team rather than a liability. Whether that’s enough to keep the team in contention
during a meat grinder of a schedule in July remains to be seen, but if the Indians can make it into August alive, and maybe make a complementary trade before the deadline, the last two months with a healthy Reyes could be very interesting.
BIO: Steve DiMatteo has covered baseball for the Associated Press, MLB.com, and a variety of other publications, and currently hosts the California Penal League Podcast, which can be found on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever else you get your podcasts.
