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Cleveland Indians: Jason Kipnis Likely to Miss Opening Day

By Andrew Schmid

Nov 1, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Indians second baseman Jason Kipnis hits a solo home run against the Chicago Cubs in the 5th inning in game six of the 2016 World Series at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 1, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Indians second baseman Jason Kipnis hits a solo home run against the Chicago Cubs in the 5th inning in game six of the 2016 World Series at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Cleveland Indians could need a new second baseman to start the season after Jason Kipnis experienced another setback with his shoulder injury.

In an unfortunate turn of events for the reigning American League Champions, Jason Kipnis is likely to miss opening day for the Cleveland Indians. As Paul Hoynes of Cleveland.com reports, manager Terry Francona delivered the news yesterday morning. A strained rotor cuff in his right shoulder appears to be the source of the setback.

There is, however, some hope that Kipnis will return to action before the season begins. Francona said that the medical staff had decided to shut down the second baseman for two weeks, putting his return date up against opening day. Francona even acknowledged this timing, saying that the lefty would “probably not” make it back in time.

Before the Cleveland Indians made the call to grant Kipnis some rest, they gave him a cortisone shot back in late February. This decision, evidently enough, did not help his healing much. Kipnis managed to appear twice last week as a designated hitter.

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It goes without saying that losing Kipnis for an extended period of time would be a major blow to the Cleveland Indians. The soon-to-be 30-year-old has served as a major part of the team since his emergence back in 2011. He made a name for himself when he slugged seven home runs with a .272 batting average and five stolen bases in just 36 games.

The lefty continued his tear through the next season when he took a bit of a step back in the power department but improving other aspects of his game. A .335 on-base percentage paired with 31 steals and above-average defense made him one of, if not the, best second basemen in the American League.

He earned his first All-Star Game appearance in 2013 with enhanced offensive output, and FanGraphs valued his work at roughly 4.5 wins above replacement. Aside from an off year in 2014, the lefty has played incredibly well for the Cleveland Indians thus far. Through a little over five seasons of work, Kipnis has accrued 19.1 wins above replacement, per FanGraphs. This number places him just one-half of a win behind Joe Gordon for the third-highest all-time figure for a Cleveland Indian at second base.

Should the Cleveland Indians have a need for a different second baseman, they will have a few players from whom to pick. Jose Ramirez, the current third baseman, could shift over, allowing Giovanny Urshela to pick up some time at the hot corner. Doing so would make some sense given Ramriez’ past experience at the position.

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34-year-old Michael Martinez could also fill in for Kipnis, although his skillset is not necessarily conducive to major league success. The utility player has never truly experienced success at the highest level and batted just .238 last season. Notably, Martinez grounded out to end the 2016 World Series.

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