UPDATE (4:30 p.m. ET): As expected, Edwin Encarnacion is in the Cleveland Indians’ starting lineup for Game 5 of their American League Division Series against the New York Yankees.
Encarnacion will bat cleanup and serve as the designated hitter for Wednesday night’s winner-take-all showdown at Progressive Field.
ORIGINAL STORY: It appears the Cleveland Indians will be back to full strength against the New York Yankees in Game 5 of their American League Division Series.
Edwin Encarnacion is expected to return to Cleveland’s lineup Wednesday after injuring his ankle in Game 2, The Morning Journal’s Jeff Schudel reported Tuesday. Schudel wrote that Encarnacion looked good at practice and should play “barring swelling and new pain.”
“The Indians’ mighty designated hitter, seemingly out for at least the rest of the postseason when he was injured in Game 2 on Oct. 6, ran sprints in the outfield and took batting practice during a workout Oct. 10 at Progressive Field,” Schudel wrote.
“He ran to first after getting a hit off Indians lefty Ryan Merritt on his final swing and tipped his cap to the Indians shagging flies in the outfield.”
The Indians dropped both games in New York without Encarnacion, scoring just three runs in the process. The Tribe will look to reverse that Wednesday in Cleveland in their winner-take-all matchup.
Thumbnail photo via Ken Blaze/USA TODAY Sports Images
