Chuck

Lofgren

The 20-year-old Lofgren has been ready for Double-A for at least a month or two now. He’s 14-5 with a 2.17 ERA, 89 H and 107/45 K/BB in 116 1/3 IP.

The Indians won 2-1 in 11 innings, with the go-ahead run scoring on an infield single. The series was a rematch of last year’s finals, which Frederick won 3-2. Lofgren had a 2.19 ERA in his two playoff starts after going 17-4 with a 2.32 ERA during the regular season. He’s one of the top left-handed pitching prospects in the low minors.

The 21-year-old Lofgren, one of the top lefties in the minors, was 5-4 with a 4.03 ERA, 61 H and 65/25 K/BB in 60 1/3 innings for Double-A Akron before his promotion.

Leaving Lofgren off the 40-man roster in advance of the Rule 5 draft seemed like the right move, given the massive control problems he experienced last year, but now it looks like he might have been a steal for someone. He’s allowed just two hits and two walks over 12 innings in his last two starts for Akron. He was once regarded as one of the game’s top left-handed pitchng prospects and he’s just 23, so the Indians are certainly glad to still have him.

Lofgren, 23, is a former fourth-round pick of the Indians. He looked solid with Double-A Akron last season, putting up a 1.48 ERA in eight starts, but scuffled upon a promotion to Triple-A Columbus, posting a 5.31 ERA in 17 starts. He ranked as the club’s No. 2 prospect in 2007 and 2008 by Baseball America.

Lofgren was at least a mild disappointment in 2007. This year, he’s simply been a bust. The 22-year-old is 1-3 with a 5.94 ERA, 48 H and 41/34 K/BB in 47 IP during his second year at Akron. If his command doesn’t improve, he’s never going to see the majors.

If the object were to win games, Lofgren would have been shut down already. He’s allowed 18 hits and 12 walks in 5 2/3 innings over seven appearances, giving him a 34.94 ERA. The 22-year-old lefty was considered a top prospect after 2006, and his stock didn’t fall too much after a mediocre 2007. However, he posted a 5.99 ERA in his second year in Double-A and he’s looking like a complete bust right now.

Lofgren, a 2004 fourth-round pick, has allowed an unearned run in 10 2/3 innings through two starts. The 20-year-old possesses an excellent fastball for a left-hander and seems to be on his way to becoming the Indians’ next top pitching prospect. Just don’t expect him to move quickly.

He did give up a run in the process. A balk, a sac bunt and a sac fly followed the left-hander’s only walk of the day in the fourth. He struck out six. Lofgren, one of the AL’s better pitching prospects, is 3-2 with a 2.88 ERA, 28 H and 42/15 K/BB in 40 2/3 IP.