Grady Sizemore's back!

Looks like we won't be seeing this swing in uniform for a
while, Tribe fans.
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

—is injured.

Yes, everyone, Grady Sizemore will not be ready for Opening Day because of another injury—this time it came when he was rehabbing his knee and hurt his back.

While this is a pretty big blow, were you really expecting him to be healthy all year long? I know I certainly wasn't.

The days of Grady playing all 162 games and being the heart and soul of the Indians lineup are long over.  The most realistic picture of a healthy season for him was probably 120-130 games, with 20-25 HRs and 70-80 RBIs. And based on what he's been doing lately, .250 would probably be a realistic batting average.

But alas, it was not meant to be. Sizemore has turned out to be as fragile as the teacup that covered his junk in those leaked pictures from a few years ago. And by that, I mean really freaking fragile.

We can all debate the merits of re-signing Sizemore for $5 million, but at the price we got him and with the rest of the free agent market pretty thin (although I still think we should've made a big play for Michael Cuddyer...), it was probably worth it. Hell, it could still be worth it if Sizemore comes back and plays his butt off in order to try and prove that he's healthy enough to get a good deal in free agency.

The prospect of cashing in during free agency can make athletes play at a significantly higher level.

But now we've got a hole in our outfield to fill, and we don't have a highly touted prospect with which to fill it.

We do, however, have a bunch of guys that could really make some things happen if the stars align properly. I think we'll see Michael Brantley slide over to center which makes a hole over in left. So with that in mind, let's take a look at some of the Grady replacement possibilites!

Shelly Duncan
The Dunk Tank already had a leg up on the competition for a bench spot, but now he could take center stage in left field. Duncan, who is 32 and has had a fairly up and down career, had a great September batting .265 with 7 HRs and 23 RBIs—including a game where he hit two jacks off of eventual Cy Young and MVP, Justin Verlander. If he has a good Spring, I wouldn't be surprised if his name were in the lineup every day—if not against lefties as a platoon guy.

Jason Donald
The Indians have been trying to groom him as a "Super Utility" man, but I think he could be a dark horse to fill this everyday role. Donald, of course, was supposed to be the Opening Day third baseman last year, but was injured in Spring Training. That opened the door for Jack Hannahan to flash his superb glove at third, and the rest is history. Donald did well last year in 39 games, batting .318 with sic doubles, one triple, one HR and eight RBIs. He did strike out 35 times, though—a number that's got to be cut down if he's going to play every day. He's a dark horse in this race, but from everything I've heard, he did well in the outfield in winter ball. Donald is certainly one to keep an eye on.

Matt LaPorta
Manager Manny Acta said a few days ago that Lappy was competing for a 1B/LF/DH backup role, but with this injury to Sizemore, LaPorta could maybe go back to his natural position and finally become the hitter everyone wants him to be. At 27, it's time for him to get his mess together to prove he was worthy of being picked in the first round in 2007, and not just a AAAA player. Perhaps going back to his natural position of left field would do that for him. That said, I really don't see LaPorta opening the season anywhere but Columbus.

Aaron Cunningham
The Indians acquired this guy from the San Diego Padres for a low level pitcher, and at the time it was considered a depth move. Cunningham is only 25, and was drafted by the White Sox in the sixth round of the '05 draft. He's been around a while, but has never truly made an impact at the major league level. To be honest, if he does end up with a role, it'll probably be as a backup. His career numbers are nothing to write home about (his career average is just above the Mendoza line), and although he's right handed, his numbers against lefties don't really inspire much confidence. He'll have to have a fantastic Spring for Acta 'n co. to put their faith in him.

Ezequiel Carrera 
This little dude's claim to fame was a suicide squeeze bunt early in the season against the Red Sox, but as the season went on and Carrera made the trip multiple times form Columbus to Cleveland and back again, it because more and more apparent that Carerra is most likely destined to be a fourth outfielder. September was especially unkind to the Porsche as he hit just .197 with two doubles, two triples, and eight runs scored in 23 games. He also struck out 13 times in that span and had an OBP of just .238. Yikes. Experience can be valuable, but I'd be pretty shocked if he opened up the season in left.

Russ Canzler
Okay, I saved him for last because right now, he's the one I want to have the job. The Indians received him from the Tampa Bay Rays for cash a few days before signing Casey Kotchman. Here's the deal, he played all four corner positions last season at AAA Durham (a part of the Rays organization) where he showed pretty good defensive prowess in the outfield—he made no errors in 60 games in left. Canzler ended up being the International League MVP by hitting .314 with 18 HRs and 83 RBIs to go along with 40 doubles. And that's where I get excited—to me if you can have a guy who bats right handed in this lineup with a .270-.300 average who can get you 30-40 doubles, that's exactly what we need. Canzler has only played in three games with just five plate appearances—I think it's time he got a shot at an everyday role. It stinks that Sizemore had to go down for this chance, but if there's any horse I'm pulling for in this race to see who'll be the left fielder, it's definitely Canzler.

Keep checking back as Spring Training rolls along, friends, as I'm sure there will be more stuff about which I'll have an opinion!
~MAS