Cleveland Indians

Cleveland Indians shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera was in obvious pain after grounding out on Monday night. Jordan Bastian confirms that he'll be sidelined at least 15 days with a strained right quad:

The Cleveland Indians were the hottest team in all of MLB at the start of May, going 15-4 for the first 19 games and grabbing first place in the AL Central.

The team has since cooled to 3-8 for the last 11 and has relinquished the top rung to the Tigers, but they had a solid month. The Indians had plenty of star players for the period but also had underperformers as well.

The Cleveland Indians are now roughly one quarter of the way through their 2013 season and are sitting atop the AL Central standings with a 23-17 record.

Last Saturday, we saw Scott Kazmir take the mound in an MLB game for the first time since 2011. What we saw was nothing short of scary. 

For me to sit back and criticize is not right. I’ve endured brutal experiences on the mound and completely understand the feeling you get when you work so hard for something have nothing to show for it. 

After the first 19 games of the season, the Indians find themselves in a curious situation. Nobody quite knows whether the Indians are for real or whether they will falter as the season continues.

As we move closer to the trade deadline, the Indians' position in the standings will determine whether they're buyers or sellers.

If they're sellers, several players who are either in the final year of their contract or approaching their final year could find themselves leaving Cleveland.

The Cleveland Indians went through a major rebuilding phase this past offseason and made numerous moves to shore up both their lineup and pitching rotation.

Through free agency and trades, the Tribe was able to bring in major pieces like Nick Swisher, Michael Bourn, Mark Reynolds and several other impact players.

Some of these players have staked themselves out to hot starts and are already justifying their new contracts.

Scott Kazmir wants to be the fifth starter for the Cleveland Indians.

After Monday’s four–inning, scoreless performance against the Los Angeles Angels, he may have made a successful case.

The comeback continues, and for the second time this spring Scott Kazmir has held his opponent scoreless. 

It’s a long shot that Kazmir could make the starting rotation, but there is also nothing that says he can’t. 

Against the Chicago White Sox Friday, Kazmir went two innings, struck out three, gave up one hit and for the second time did not walk anyone. That, in my eyes, is the biggest factor. 

The Cleveland Indians should consider trading closer Chris Perez as soon as possible.

According to MLB.com, Perez suffered a subscapularis strain in his throwing shoulder this spring and will probably not return for the next three to four weeks.

With the start of spring training this weekend, there are still several free agents that haven't signed with a team. One of the players who top the list of unsigned contributors is Kyle Lohse. Lohse is an excellent right-handed pitcher that has been on four different MLB teams throughout his 12-year professional career.