The Indians called up four players from Buffalo and activated one player from the Disabled List as the rosters expanded.
Reinstated LHRP Arthur Rhodes from the 15-day Disabled List
This is a bit of good timing, since David Riske will be serving his suspension this weekend. Rhodes hasn't been on the active roster since August 2nd, and will allow for a bit more flexibility towards the end of games. In Rhodes' absence, Bob Howry has seized the 8th inning job, but he's been used a lot lately. Again, having depth in your bullpen is a great problem to have. Once Riske returns from his suspension, the Indians should seven guys they are comfortable using in close games.
Recalled RHP Jeremy Guthrie and OF Jason Dubois from Buffalo (AAA)
Neither of these guys should see any meaningful playing time. Guthrie probably would only be used if a starter has to leave the game early, and I don't see many situations where Dubois would get any important at-bats.
Recalled RHP Andrew Brown from Buffalo (MLB Debut)
The second time should be the charm for Andrew. Like Guthrie, Brown will probably pitch sparingly. In a perfect world, the Indians would like to see what he can do in late inning situations, because he's out of options next year, but with every game critical, that's not a luxury they can afford.
Purchased the Contract and Recalled C/1B Ryan Garko from Buffalo
Garko is the most promising prospect of this bunch. Ryan has been almost exclusively a first baseman since July, and that's where his biggest opportunity to crack the roster seems to be. A plus is his ability to catch, allowing Wedge to pinch-run for Martinez late in games. Ben Broussard seems to have a knack for going on hot streaks just as talk of replacing him starts to gather steam. But the Indians shouldn't hesitate to move Broussard in the offseason, because they have other options on hand.
CC Sabathia seemed to have turned a corner, and it's coming at a great time. While Minnesota may have the worst offense in the AL right now, Sabathia was hitting his spots with all his pitches tonight. The dividing line between a guy with good stuff and a good pitcher is control. If you have that 95 mph fastball and can spot it on a corner, you'll get major-league hitters out. Heck, you can throw 85 mph and get hitters out if you can spot them in the right places. But it always helps to have an increased margin of error, and when Sabathia has command of his pitches, he looks awesome. Of course, that hasn't happened much lately, but games like this makes you appreciate how good he can be.
It doesn't get any easier for the Indians. Or Millwood for that matter; he's going up against Johan Santana, the league's hottest pitcher, tomorrow.