Lindor out

Oh how the mighty have fallen.

Lindor

If the Cleveland Indians didn’t think they had problems with their lineup before heading to spring training, they almost certainly do now. 
Friday’s news that All Star Francisco Lindor will miss seven to nine weeks and likely the beginning of the regular season while rehabbing a strained right calf muscle casts a pall on an already iffy lineup that was set to rely disproportionately on the 24-year-old shortstop’s production from the get-go.

Lindor was one of the most reliable leadoff hitters in the game over the last two seasons, leading baseball with 123 runs scored in 2018 and blasting home runs at a franchise record pace for his position.

With Lindor on the shelf, a lineup that was already set to have depth concerns beyond the No. 5 spot now has a gaping hole at the top. Below is a look at candidates on the Indians 40-man roster and spring invitees to take over the leadoff spot while Lindor is out.

Greg Allen

With only five career starts in the leadoff spot on his resume, Allen would be the player with the most to prove in order to earn a shot at Lindor’s leadoff spot. In 25 plate appearances in the leadoff role, Allen hit .304 with a double, four runs scored and a .708 OPS.

Jason Kipnis

No stranger to the leadoff spot for Terry Francona, Kipnis has started 220 games at the top of the Indians batting order. He’s a .274 lifetime hitter in the leadoff spot with a .779 OPS including 245 hits, 90 RBI and 139 runs scored. If experience is the determining factor, Kipnis is the strongest candidate.

Carlos Santana

Francona has experimented with Santana in the top spot rather frequently since 2016 because of the slugger’s ability to get on base consistently. His .845 OPS as a leadoff hitter in 132 lifetime games testifies to that. Santana would provide pop with 26 career home runs at the top of the order to go along with 95 walks.

Ryan Flaherty ?

Announced as a spring training invitee on Thursday, Flaherty’s chances of making the roster on opening day have increased with Lindor’s predicament. But Flaherty has just 12 career games batting in the leadoff spot under his belt and he’s not fared well at the plate in those chances, hitting just .167 with seven strikeouts in 18 plate appearances.

Max Moroff

A switch hitter acquired in the Erik Gonzalez trade, Moroff also lacks experience in leadoff situations, starting just six career games as a leadoff hitter. His .160 batting average and .521 OPS from the top spot in the order fail to impress as do his 13 strikeouts in 29 plate appearances.

Beyond the offensive impact of Lindor’s absence, The Tribe must account for the specter of his Gold Glove-caliber defense leaving a rather large hole in the middle of the diamond. Below are candidates from the 40-man roster and spring invitees to replace Lindor defensively at shortstop.

Jose Ramirez

If moving from third base to second base in each of the last two seasons didn’t bother Ramirez (and we’re still not 100 percent sure that’s the case), then a temporary shift back to his original position would be no big deal, right? Ramirez has logged 109 major league games at shortstop, most significantly in 2014 and 2015. He has a .970 fielding percentage with 12 errors in 399 chances. But his total zone total fielding runs are well below league average at the position.

Franky Lindor