The Cleveland Indians announced Sunday that they've placed slugger Edwin Encarnacion on the 10-day disabled list as he nurses a right hand contusion, and that they're calling up Yandy Diaz from Triple-A.
The 35-year-old Encarnacion is batting .229 with 25 home runs, 81 RBI and an OPS of .778. Though his batting average and OBP are far below Encarnacion's usual standards, he remains one of the top home run hitters in baseball, but the Indians will be fine without him for a few games.
Entering play on Sunday, the Indians had a 65-51 record, 11 games clear of the Minnesota Twins for the AL Central lead. At this rate, the Indians will enter the postseason as the No. 3 seed in the American League, with a likely ALDS matchup with the defending World Series champion Houston Astros.
The Indians signed Encarnacion to a three-year contract worth $60 million in Dec. 2016, after falling just one game short of winning that year. He clubbed 38 home runs and 107 RBI last year, leading the Indians to an impressive 102-60 season, though the New York Yankees shocked them in the ALDS.
Cleveland hasn't been as dominant compared to the last two regular seasons, but Francisco Lindor, Jose Ramirez and pitcher Trevor Bauer are enjoying MVP-caliber seasons, and the Indians are destined to win their third consecutive AL Central division.
Encarnacion has a flair for the dramatic when it comes to big postseason games, having delivered the walk-off home run for the Blue Jays in the 2016 AL Wild Card Game against the Baltimore Orioles. The Indians simply need him to rest up and get healthy as they continue their postseason push.
Cleveland has had a relatively healthy roster in tact throughout the season, and Encarnacion has done a fine job staying healthy in his career. This injury isn't serious, so there's no reason for Cleveland to worry about their star hitter.