An Early Look at What the 2020 Cleveland Indians Opening Day Lineup May Look Like

Spring training has just gotten underway in Goodyear, Arizona for the Cleveland Indians, and over the course of the next month things within the roster will work themselves out so come March 26 the team will be ready to take the field in the season opener.

With a number of changes and additions to the roster, trying to figure out the Indians lineup right now is not an easy thing to do.

The club has to figure out just who is going to play the two corner outfield spots, and also there’s the question of the DH spot in the starting nine.

MLB.com recently put out an article with the starting nine for not only the Indians but for each team in the show, as well as the starting five in the rotation.

The article did take into consideration the fact that the pitcher who was likely to be the opening day starter, Mike Clevinger, is going to miss six to eight weeks after having surgery on his left knee.

For now, here is the way the article had the Tribe starting nine looking once they take the field for the first time against the Tigers in late March at likely frosty Progressive Field.

1) Francisco Lindor, SS
2) Oscar Mercado, LF
3) Carlos Santana, 1B
4) Franmil Reyes, DH
5) José Ramírez, 3B
6) Jordan Luplow, RF
7) César Hernández, 2B
8) Roberto Pérez, C
9) Delino DeShields, CF

The article points out that Tyler Naquin is hopeful to be back for the opener, but that the Indians are wisely making him take his time after his knee surgery after a scary injury in Tampa in September.

One player who is absent from the starting nine is that of Domingo Santana, a player the team just inked to a one-year deal last week. For now the piece has Oscar Mercado making the shift from center to left, and Jordan Luplow winning the job in right.

There is also question about Francisco Lindor hitting leadoff, as Monday it was reported that manager Terry Francona and Lindor discussed moving the shortstop out of the leadoff spot.

The lineup also implies that new Indian Delino DeShields will be in the opening day lineup, and that he’ll be in center hitting ninth.

Here is what MLB.com reports will be the Indians starting five with Clevinger on the shelf at the start of the 2020 season as he recovers from knee surgery.

1) Shane Bieber, RHP
2) Carlos Carrasco, RHP
3) Aaron Civale, RHP
4) Zach Plesac, RHP
5) Adam Plutko, RHP

Closer: Brad Hand, LHP

Bieber and Carrasco could be interchanged as the number one and two in the rotation, the team wants to confirm that Carrasco is healthy enough to be in the starting rotation after overcoming leukemia last season to pitch out of the pen in September.

Civale and Plesac both were very good as rookies last season, combining to go 11-10 but each sporting ERA’s under four. If they can throw well this spring they likely will be in the rotation with Clevinger on the shelf.

Adam Plutko gets the call as the number five starter, and it’s a role he is use to as he was used as a spot starter last season and also can make the shift back to the pen when Clevinger returns.

Brad Hand will be back in the closer role for the second straight season, and the team is confident he will be more like the pitcher that was dominant in the first half of 2019 than the one that struggled in the second half.

A lot can change between now and March 26 when the Indians take the field for the first time, but it’s fun to start to look at just what the lineup may look like when the season kicks off for the Indians.