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Indians news and notes: Naquin continues to impress in final week of spring

Morning news & notes for Tuesday, March 29, 2016.

By Tyler Griffith
This base running thing is tricky...I should just hit a home run every time instead.
This base running thing is tricky...I should just hit a home run every time instead.
Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

By this time next week, we're all hoping that the Cleveland Indians will have won the season opener the day prior.  Corey Kluber will throw 7 shutout innings, Francisco Lindor will go 3-for-4 with a go-ahead home run in the 8th, and Cody Allen will shut the door in the 9th to bring the Tribe's record to a beautiful 1-0.  At least, that's the hope.  Until then, we've the last week of spring training to get through.  So here are the interesting stories going on around the league.

Indians news

  • Naquin, Gomes back solid Salazar vs. A's | MLB
    Tyler seems to have taken the news that he will make the Opening Day roster well because he hit another home run in yesterday's 6-4 win over the Oakland Athletics.  Yan Gomes and Danny Salazar also had solid days as the team gets ready to start playing (and winning) the games that count.

  • Cleveland Indians need a big April and so does one of their biggest fans: Tom Reed | Cleveland.com
    Cleveland.com writer and Tribe fan Tom Reed has been helping take care of his mom recently as she has struggled with kidney issues.  Luckily, her love of the Tribe and her anticipation for Opening Day is giving her the strength to push through to recovery.  Reading through Tom's article on his mother, she reminds me of how my grandma used to watch baseball, which is always a good thing.  Best of luck to you, Carolyn; we're all rooting for you.

  • Healthy Gomes could be X-factor for Tribe | MLB
    In news that is new to no Tribe fan, Yan Gomes is pretty good at what he does and, pending no one slides into his leg again, should help lead the Tribe to a competitive 2016 season.  Gomes' focus for the spring has been to get and stay healthy, and he's done that so far.  He says that his knee issue is behind him, which, if the Tribe hopes to compete, will be crucial to his success.

  • Salazar a No. 3 who can pitch like a No. 1 | MLB
    If you're the Mets, you can argue that you have 3 aces on your pitching staff.  Luckily, the Cleveland Indians can make that same argument.  The Dzar is primed to ride his split-change into the postseason and give Kluber and Carrasco a run for their money as he competes for the title of "staff ace".  Personally, Salazar is my favorite pitcher on the Tribe staff right now.  I, like so many others, am pulling for him to have a truly tremendous season.

    • Around The League

    • Ben Affleck isn't the only Dark Knight trying to bolster his supporting cast; Matt Harvey has been scratched for an "undisclosed medical issue" and is now in question for Opening Day (side note if it wasn't clear: I enjoyed Affleck's Batman).
    • You all knew it was coming, so it shouldn't be a surprise that the festivities surrounding David Ortiz's last season in MLB have already begun.
    • Finally, it's looking like things in Toronto are moving along nicely:

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