Casey Blake back to DL

August 8, 2006 @ 16:00:00

By Bryce McRae
Edited by Ryan Dodson

For the second time this season, the Cleveland Indians were forced to put first baseman/outfielder Casey Blake (ankle) on the 15-day disabled list Tuesday, Aug. 8, retroactive to Sunday, Aug. 6. Earlier in the season, Blake spent 23 games on the disabled list with a strained left oblique muscle. This time it is a sprained right ankle that he has fallen victim to. 

Blake had been enjoying another solid offensive season, hitting .310, with 16 home runs and 51 RBI in just 79 games. He was projected to finish up with around 28 home runs, 90 RBI and a .310 average. Those are solid numbers right there. One of the highlights came when he hit a two-run, inside-the-park home run against the Detroit Tigers Tuesday, July 25. Blake has been spending time this year in both the outfield and at first base. He began the season as the team's right fielder but recently, he has spent more time at first base. Outfielders Todd Hollandsworth, Shin-Soo Choo and Jason Michaels will each split time for two of the outfield spots (Grady Sizemore is the everyday center fielder for the team). 

Recently acquired Choo will likely see the majority of the time in right field, where he and Blake had formed a platoon. After hitting just .125 in the month of July, Choo has picked up his play and is hitting .325, with two runs, one home run and six RBI in five games so far in August. Manager Eric Wedge has said he will get the majority of the playing time in right field. For now, Choo represents a decent option in the outfield, but keep an eye on him, as it remains to be seen whether he can keep up this pace.

To fill Blake's spot on the roster, the Indians called up infielder Ryan Garko from Triple-A Buffalo. Garko has batted .248, with 15 home runs and 59 RBI in 102 games with Buffalo this season. Garko should see some time sparingly at first and catcher.

Super prospect Andy Marte is just 3-for-20 (.150) since coming up. Look for the team to give him more time at third base and possibly move Aaron Boone to first base to get Marte on track. He's only going to improve by seeing consistent playing time.

So who to replace Blake with? One name would be Minnesota Twins third baseman Nick Punto. In July, Punto was on fire, batting .374, with 15 RBI and 19 runs scored. On the season he is hitting .308, with no home runs, 29 RBI and 12 steals. You will lose out in the long ball category, but Punto has been playing everyday at third base, and he is batting second for a Twins team that has won four of their last five games. With Twins catcher Joe Mauer and first basemen Justin Morneau batting behind him, the opportunity will be there for Punto to score a lot of runs, provided he continues to get on base.

Another option could be Chicago Cubs outfielder Angel Pagan. He was only activated off the disabled list Friday, June 30, and in 85 at-bats this season has hit .306, with four home runs, 11 RBI, 15 runs and three stolen bases. That was in a backup role, and Cubs manager Dusty Baker said he could get more playing time if he continues his hot pace. Also, with the Cubs being out of contention, they could be more willing to put up with any mistakes he might make. 

Another possible replacement for Blake would be Baltimore Orioles outfielder Nick Markakis. In the month of July, Markakis hit .403, with two home runs, 10 RBI and 14 runs scored. On the season, he is hitting .290, with four home runs and 32 RBI. Once again, you lose out on power but Markakis has been playing regularly and hitting the ball well and would make a more than adequate replacement for Blake.

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Bryce McRae
Bryce McRae is a Managing Editor with KFFL and has been involved in fantasy sports since 1999. He joined KFFL as a volunteer writer in March 2005 before becoming a Hot off the Wire Analyst in March 2006. He began working in his current capacity in September 2008. His work has appeared on fantasy sports sites such as Yahoo! and CBS Sportsline as well as in print. He graduated from the University of British Columbia in 2008 with a B.A. in History and U.S. Studies.

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