The Indians announced they’ve placed catcher Austin Hedges on the seven-day concussion injured list. Veteran backstop Ryan Lavarnway has been selected to the roster to pair with René Rivera in Hedges’ absence. To create 40-man roster space for Lavarnway, Cleveland transferred outfielder Jordan Luplow from the 10-day to the 60-day injured list.
Lavarnway, who’ll get the start behind the plate this afternoon against the Orioles, will be making his first MLB appearance of 2021. It’ll mark his fifth consecutive year getting big league time (and his tenth overall), each of the last five with a different club. Lavarnway has suited up for the A’s, Pirates, Reds and Marlins over the last four years, totaling fewer than twenty plate appearances at each stop. A quintessential third catcher, the 33-year-old has appeared for seven teams in total (the Indians will be his eighth) and hit .215/.272/.344 across 456 MLB plate appearances. He’s hit .258/.313/.551 in 97 trips to the dish this year with Triple-A Columbus.
Hedges missed yesterday’s game with an illness that now appears to be related to a concussion. This is the second time in his MLB career he’s gone on the concussion IL. The defensive specialist has hit just .144/.205/.240 so far this season.
Luplow has been on the injured list since May 27. His transfer rules him out for sixty days from the date of that original placement, so he’ll now be ineligible to return to the majors until late July. Before the injury, the 27-year-old had posted an odd, but fairly productive, .173/.331/.439 line (113 wRC+) with seven homers across 121 plate appearances. Luplow’s on-base and slugging percentages exceed the respective major league averages of .317 and .405 despite the low batting average.
President of baseball operations Chris Antonetti provided reporters (including Mandy Bell of MLB.com and Zack Meisel of the Athletic) updates on a few other injured players this morning. Designated hitter Franmil Reyes and catcher Roberto Pérez could begin minor league rehab assignments within the next week. Starter Zach Plesac, meanwhile, is slated to throw a bullpen session tomorrow and could embark on a rehab assignment of his own in the next couple weeks.
I always had high hopes for him back with the Red Sox
Lavarnway should be right up there with Refsnyder and Swihart. They are players who just refuse to go away, and are eventually of use for a limited time only.
It is a pay check…
I got nuthin. He’s a better catcher than me and hits better than Hedges. Hopefully he’s ok though.
Hedges is bound to be the next Jeff Mathis. A catcher who is one of the best when it comes to defense which is why he’ll stick on rosters as a 2nd/3rd catcher, but has no bat to speak of.
2017/2018 Hedges where he had an OPS near .700 and he was actually hitting like ~15 HR a year was a passable starter, but the last few years even with the solid D the offense has decreased to a point where it’s really hard to justify anything more than like a 3rd catcher role. I feel like he’s a prime non-tender candidate this offseason.
He also has WBC experience as the catcher for Team Israel that shocked everyone with its performance in 2017.
thought he retired years ago.
White Sox best record in baseball!!
Cleveland better load up.
Red Sox & Rays are nipping at their heals. White Sox need to fix their OF & 2B situations too.
Well if the Sox did what u suggest…
There would no longer be any suspense. People would lose interest in MLB.
Sox would be runaway 2021WS winners!!!
Must be a really slow day to be trolling a Ryan Lavarnway article…
White Sox play in a way easier division than the Rays and Red Sox!
Starving for attention again?
Indians lead season series versus Sox 6-5
Say what you want to about Lavarnway, but the man is persistent. Good for him, keep fighting.
The season doesn’t start until Ryan Lavarnway is called up to replace some injured catcher!
That is pretty crazy he’s still playing. Thought he was long gone.
Shocked he’s only 33. Figured he was pushing 40, at least.