Underdog Indians won't just roll over vs. Red Sox in ALDS

CLEVELAND — The Indians took the field at an empty Progressive Field on Tuesday night, pumping Kanye West and a bass-thumping soundtrack, taking batting practice and going through a routine workout two days before they began their American League Division Series against the Red Sox. They come into the playoffs bruised and besieged by injuries and as heavy underdogs despite home-field advantage.

It is, at least according to their own narrative, a familiar spot. Even as the Indians won 94 games this season and ran up the American League’s second-best record. In fact, the idea of being underdogs makes Francisco Lindor break into a wide smile.

“I like that,” Lindor, the team’s star shortstop said. “I like when people doubt us… That’s what makes it fun, looking back and telling people …”

Here, he stops and puts a finger to his mouth, hushing himself for a moment.

“So we’ll see,” he said. “We’ll see what happens.”

There is at least some reason to understand why the Indians find themselves in this spot. Why Las Vegas oddsmakers have made the Red Sox favorites and Cleveland already has the feel of a team left out of the spotlight.

Their rotation, among the league’s best when healthy, has been decimated by injuries. Carlos Carrasco is out for the season with a broken hand. Danny Salazar has a forearm injury and the club decided to send him to their facility in Arizona rather than rush him back into their bullpen for the ALDS.

Even Corey Kluber, their ace, suffered a quadriceps strain last week and hasn’t pitched since last Monday. He’ll start Game 2 Friday night and face off against David Price. Meanwhile, Trevor Bauer will start Thursday in Game 1.

It’s that rotation that will face a Red Sox lineup with MVP candidate Mookie Betts and David Ortiz and the rest of a lineup that scored more runs than any other team in baseball this season.

“I’m thankful that we’ve had the starting depth that we’ve had and to be able to have someone like obviously Corey Kluber and Trevor and Josh Tomlin still available to pitch despite some of the pitching injuries that we’ve had,” Indians president Chris Antonetti said. “I think (it) speaks to the depth of the roster and the guys that we do have available.”

There are other questions too. Catcher Yan Gomes returned over the weekend and homered Sunday in his first start and at-bat since July 17. But the Indians are still deciding whether to put him on the postseason roster and haven’t ruled out taking three catchers.

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