Ryan

Ludwick

Ludwick should join the Indians in September. He’s a serious threat to take Jody Gerut’s job next season.

“He’s 100 percent,” GM Mark Shapiro said. “But we all need to see him play to find out if he has the same speed and range in the outfield. We won’t know that until sometime in March.” Ludwick is expected to open the season as Cleveland’s fourth outfielder, but with Grady Sizemore ahead of him in line for a starting job and Jody Gerut due back a month or two into the season, his fantasy upside appears limited.

Ludwick will be ready for the beginning of spring training. He should get a chance to compete for the starting job in left field next season, but it’s quite likely that he’ll open the year in the minors.

Ludwick has been confined to pool work and may not be ready to play spring games by the Indians March 15th target. IF Ludwick starts the season on the DL, that could open up a spots for Coco Crisp and Alex Escobar. Escobar has six hits in his first three exhibition games.

Ludwick has tendinitis in his surgically repaired right knee. It looks like he’ll begin the season in the minors, opening up a spot on the Indians for either Coco Crisp or Alex Escobar.

Ludwick will spend some time in the minors once he’s recovered from tendinitis in his right knee, so don’t expect to see him in Cleveland until May at the earliest.

The Indians have so many outfielders and outfield prospects that Ludwick could be a candidate for another trade later in the season.

“The consensus now is that by mid-March, I should be 100 percent,” Ludwick said Saturday. “In the last two or three weeks, I’ve made tremendous strides. I talked to the doctor today, and he thinks I have a clear path ahead of me, and that I shouldn’t be worried anymore about hurting the knee.” Ludwick might be able to outproduce Matt Lawton, Crisp and Escobar, so he has to be viewed as a sleeper. Still, there is a good chance that he’ll be forced to open the season in the minors.

If Ludwick is limited during the spring, then it’s quite likely that he’ll open the season in the minors. He might have the most offensive upside of any of Cleveland’s candidates to start in left field, but he has an option remaining and Matt Lawton and Alex Escobar have to be on the roster.

Ludwick hopes to play in exhibition games by March 15th. He needs to be ready by then for any shot at making the team. The minors is looking more likely.