CLEVELAND -- The Indians would not have activated Jason Kipnis from the disabled list if he was not ready. The challenge for manager Terry Francona now is to balance having his second baseman back and taking steps to avoid running him into the ground.
An example came in Chicago on Sunday, when Kipnis was out of the starting lineup after playing in consecutive games following time on the DL with a right shoulder issue. Francona plans on looking for spots early on to give Kipnis rest, as the second baseman builds up the physical endurance required for a long season.