AL Central Notes: Dozier, Zobrist, Brantley, Almonte

The MRI conducted on Brian Dozier’s right hip revealed no structural damage, reports Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press, meaning the Twins’ All-Star second baseman will not require offseason surgery. GM Terry Ryan revealed last week that Dozier would undergo the test after playing through hip pain that most likely played somewhat of a role in Dozier’s precipitous second-half decline. After batting .256/.328/.513 with 19 homers in the season’s first half, Dozier’s production fell off a cliff. He batted just .210/.280/.359 with nine homers in the season’s second half.

Elsewhere in the AL Central…

• MLB.com’s Jane Lee spoke to Royals manager Ned Yost and multiple players about the impact that Ben Zobrist has had on the team since being acquired prior to the non-waiver trade deadline. All agreed that in addition to his defensive versatility and under-the-radar power, Zobrist’s patient approach has deepened the lineup and added a dynamic that wasn’t previously there. “He’s the only patient hitter we have on the team,” said Lorenzo Cain. “We have a lot of aggressive hitters, so he kind of changes it up a little bit, adds a different dynamic to our lineup. He actually takes pitches and works the count. He’s been a huge addition to this team.”
• Indians GM Chris Antonetti spoke to Zack Meisel of the Cleveland Plain Dealer about the upcoming offseason, noting that the always cost-conscious team will need to be “creative” in filling its needs. One thing Antonetti noted is that the team hasn’t ruled out the possibility of using Michael Brantley in center field, which would give the club more options when trying to add pieces in the outfield. Additionally, Antonetti noted that he can envision a scenario in which Abraham Almonte, who impressed after being acquired from the Padres, could fill an everyday role for the club. Whether or not that scenario comes to fruition, though, will depend on how the rest of the offseason shakes out. I recently took my own stab at previewing Cleveland’s upcoming winter as past of our Offseason Outlook series and suggested a run the Marlins’ Marcell Ozuna would make some sense for Cleveland.