The Cleveland Indians want Trevor Bauer in their postseason rotation.

The next step will come Friday night against the Boston Red Sox in his first appearance since breaking his right leg last month.Indians manager Terry Francona said Bauer will pitch a “couple of innings” and then throw in the bullpen to increase his pitch count.Francona wants Bauer to make two additional starts during the regular season. The right-hander is expected to start Tuesday against the Chicago White Sox and will likely pitch again the last weekend of the season in Kansas City.“To give him a chance to start http://www.astrosfanproshop.com/authentic-justin-verlander-jersey , we felt like he needed to have three outings,” Francona said. “So this was the way to do it. Getting him back is great. His goal and ours is to see if he can start.”The Indians hope Bauer can build up his pitch count by the time the Division Series begins Oct. 5. Using him as a reliever is another option.“Having him in the bullpen is still really positive,” Francona said. “We asked him for his honesty on how he is feeling and we’ll give him our feedback. But this was the best way to do it.”Bauer has been sidelined since he was struck on the lower leg by a line drive off the bat of Chicago’s Jose Abreu on Aug. 11. He was diagnosed with a stress fracture of his right fibula.Bauer has gone through a rigorous throwing program to return from the injury. He began by playing catch from his knees while wearing a walking boot. Bauer gradually progressed to throwing off the mound and faced hitters Tuesday in a three-inning simulated game.“He’s got himself in a position where he’s jumping right into games,” Francona said. “Where you don’t have to worry about his arm. He’s giving himself every chance possible by the way he attacked his rehab.”Bauer is 12-6 with a 2.22 ERA in 25 starts and was named to his first All-Star team.Francona said rookie Shane Bieber will relieve Bauer in Friday’s game. Mike Clevinger, another candidate for the postseason rotation, will start Saturday.Corey Kluber will start on Monday and Saturday of the final week to line up for Game 1 of the Division Series. MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — While his bosses with the Minnesota Twins have been constructing the roster, new manager Rocco Baldelli has been busy building relationships with the players now under his supervision.His ability and desire to do that was one of the biggest reasons why he got the job, after all.“People get a feel for other people over time Hector Rondon Jersey , and you just try to be yourself and you end up proving yourself every day,” Baldelli said. “That’s how we’re going to build what we’re going to build here.”Though Baldelli committed much of the last three months to those getting-to-know-you talks with players, coaches and other Twins staff he’ll be working closely with, this week has provided his first significant opportunity to conducting these conversations in person with the first pitchers and catchers workout of spring training fast approaching on Feb. 14.After spending four days with starting pitcher Jose Berrios and left fielder Eddie Rosario for meet-and-greets with fans on one leg of the team’s winter caravan that took them to bowling alleys, middle schools and frozen lakes, Baldelli and the majority of the players on Minnesota’s major league roster have convened for the weekend at Target Field for the annual fan festival. They’ll be mingling with the public for autographs, pictures and questions, but they’ve also set aside more time for the invaluable bonding that sure can’t hurt the goal of establishing a smooth and successful 2019 season.“I would really like to create an environment in this clubhouse and with the organization as a whole where these players can just be who they are http://www.astrosfanproshop.com/authentic-justin-verlander-jersey ,” Baldelli said Friday. “They don’t have to conform to any kind of standards, except for respecting everyone and going out there and competing every night when they take the field. That’s really all I care about at the end of the day. These guys can show a little personality and be who they are.”Chief baseball officer Derek Falvey and general manager Thad Levine made the decision after a 78-84 finish by the Twins to replace Paul Molitor with Baldelli, who at age 37 is the youngest manager in the major leagues . They sought a unifying presence between the front office and the clubhouse, a fresh voice who could better connect with millennials and their generational traits.“Today’s players are so much more demanding than they once were, and they’re not content just having somebody to dictate what we’re doing,” Levine said.“They ask why a lot, and then I think if you’re connected to their hearts you have a much better chance of prevailing on delivering your message. I see Rocco investing at that ground level right now.”One of the most noteworthy efforts Baldelli engaged in since he was hired was traveling to rural Georgia to see center fielder Byron Buxton and then the Dominican Republic for time with third baseman Miguel Sano, two players long groomed as franchise cornerstones but underperforming at this stage of their careers and coming off rough 2018 seasons.“He’s decided that Jimmy Wynn Jersey , for right now, ‘I need to get to know these players inside and out,'” Falvey said. “When he invests, he invests.”Sano was given permission to skip TwinsFest because his Dominican winter team won the league championship and reached the Caribbean Series. One other key player absent this weekend was starting pitcher Kyle Gibson, who has been ill from the E. coli bacteria.Since the 2018 season ended, the Twins have enhanced their lineup by acquiring first baseman C.J. Cron, second baseman Jonathan Schoop and designated hitter Nelson Cruz. They’ve more recently signed relief pitcher Blake Parker and have been finalizing a contract with starting pitcher Martin Perez.Still, after fielding a team with a $131 million payroll on opening day last year http://www.astrosfanproshop.com/authentic-justin-verlander-jersey , ranking 17th in the major leagues, the retirement of first baseman Joe Mauer and other free-agent departures have significantly reduced the cost commitments for 2019. That has caused consternation in some corners of the fan base, with a rich field of free agents remaining on the market headlined by outfielder Bryce Harper, relief pitcher Craig Kimbrel and of course shortstop Manny Machado.“We’re set up well to invest,” Falvey said, “when we feel the right fits are there.”