Cleveland Indians: Tyler Naquin Seizing Opportunity as a Rookie
Cleveland Indians rookie outfielder Tyler Naquin has worked his way back to the major league level and has had great success as of late.
The Cleveland Indians are on a tear, winning five in a row including finishing off a four-game sweep of the Kansas City Royals with a 7-0 victory Sunday.
The winning streak began after some tough news involving Marlon Byrd, who was handed a 162-game suspension for his second positive PED test.
Byrd’s departure seemed to leave a hole in the Indians outfield, as Michael Brantley is currently on the disabled list and Abraham Almonte is finishing up an 80-game suspension for his own positive PED test.
But that hole was quickly filled by rookie Tyler Naquin, who was called up from AAA Columbus after being sent down a few weeks ago.
In the four games against the Royals, Naquin had six hits, five RBI and three home runs, with the home runs coming in three consecutive games.
Bringing Naquin back up to Cleveland was a move that could have come earlier if not for the surprisingly good play of both Jose Ramirez and Lonnie Chisenhall, who have been great assets to this team at a time when, on paper, it looked like there was a lack of depth in the outfield.
Naquin made the roster out of Spring Training, thanks in part to Brantley opening the season on the disabled list. He played in 19 games in April, finishing with a .341 average and .356 on-base percentage for the month.
He was off to a lesser pace in May, ultimately being sent down after a May 17 win over the Cincinnati Reds.
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Being sent down was less of a demotion and more of a situation allowing Naquin to stay in a rhythm of starting games, as there were already four outfielders having solid seasons in Cleveland.
But once Byrd was sidelined, it became clear it was Naquin’s time to become an everyday starter for the team.
He has done well in his short return, which makes one wonder whether Almonte will join the roster once he comes off his suspension. Then there is Brantley, whose timetable for a return continues to change based on developments in his rehab.
With the way the team is playing now, there is no need to rush Brantley back. Naquin can fill in as the everyday starter in center field, while Almonte can perhaps be put on the trading block as the team nears the trade deadline.
The team being in first place in the American League Central is a bit of a surprise, but Naquin’s play should not be anything less than expected.
He was a first round selection of the Indians in 2012, and could have arguably been an asset for the team last season if not for several injuries during the season as a member of the Columbus Clippers.
Naquin is another example of a player who has come up through the Indians system, as he joins Francisco Lindor and Jason Kipnis as homegrown players who the team relied on to help at the major league level for many years.
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With the Byrd suspension and the Brantley injury, Tyler Naquin has seized a great opportunity to prove himself, and should become a focal point of this Indians lineup as the team tries to return to the postseason for the first time since 2013.