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DETROIT -- The Indians have given Grady Sizemore a head start to his offeason, one in which the center fielder's future with the organization will be determined.On Monday, Cleveland opened a three-game series with the Tigers at Comerica Park, where the Tribe will close the book on the 2011 campaign. Sizemore, who has been shut down for the year due to continued issues with his right knee, was all afl football owed to skip the series.Indians manager Manny Acta declined to go into specifics about Sizemore's status, choosing instead to defer to head athletic trainer Lonnie Soloff, who will meet with the media on Tuesday. Acta would only say that it simply did not make much sense to play Sizemore under the current circumstances."Lonnie is probably going to address you guys tomorrow," Acta said prior to Mon afl football day's game. "The only thing I can say is it's counterproductive for us to play him, because it doesn't look like we're going to make the playoffs with three games to go and trailing by 12."It's not worth it. Anything else, Lonnie's going to address it with you guys."Soloff indicated on Monday that Sizemore was not currently scheduled to undergo any further tests on his right knee, though it is pos afl football sible that the center fielder will have a routine exam at the end of the season. On Sunday, general manager Chris Antonetti said Sizemore did not aggravate any of his prior injuries.Since returning from the disabled list on Sept. 5 -- Sizemore's third stint on the DL this year -- he hit .139 (5-for-36) with 10 strikeouts in 10 games. Overall, the 29-year-old Sizemore has hit .224 with 10 homers an afl football d 32 RBIs in 71 games this season, which was the third in a row that was marred by health issues.This winter, the Indians have the ability to exercise or decline a club option worth $8.5 million that is included in Sizemore's contract for the 2012 season. If the Tribe opts against picking up the option, there is a $500,000 buyout that would then allow Sizemore to become eligible for free agency. afl football Hafner showing no lingering effects of foot injury DETROIT -- The Indians knew they were taking a risk when they activated designated hitter Travis Hafner from the disabled list earlier this month. Now Cleveland is glad it made the decision to let Hafner play.Over the past two weeks, Hafner has swung the bat well and looked fine on the basepaths, giving the Tribe hope that his right foot injury afl football is a thing of the past. His progress has made offseason surgery seem more unlikely with each game he has played."It is a big confidence booster for him and for us," Indians manager Manny Acta said. "The fact that we have been able to see him not only swing the bat, but the way he's moving around and running the bases -- that tells us that he's feeling well and that he's over that tendon issue."It afl football 's very encouraging to see him finish the season on that note."Since being activated from the 15-day DL on Sept. 11 -- following a three-week break to recover from a strained right foot tendon that first flared up in late April -- the 34-year-old Hafner hit .270 with two home runs and eight RBIs in 10 games for the Tribe entering Monday. More importantly, he has shown no signs of being hesitant wh afl football en running.On the year, Hafner has hit .280 with 13 homers and 57 RBIs entering Monday. In 2010, the DH hit .278 with 13 homers and 50 RBIs in 118 games while battling shoulder fatigue. This season, Hafner's right shoulder -- problematic from 2008-10 -- has not been an issue.Hafner is under contract for $13 million for the 2012 season. Quote to note "Every team has their issues. We had ours an afl football d you have to live with it. You can't control injuries. I can sit here and say that we're going to be really good if everybody's healthy, but you can't keep every one of them in bubble wrap next year. So we'll see." -- Indians manager Manny Acta Smoke signals #149; Rookie right-hander Zach Putnam, who was selected by the Indians in the fifth round of the 2008 First-Year Player Draft out of th afl football e University of Michigan, will probably pitch during this series in Detroit. It marks the first trip home as a big leaguer for Putnam (born in nearby Rochester, Mich.). "We always have been high on him," manager Manny Acta said. "We think he's going to be a good Major League pitcher." #149; Shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera was back in the lineup for the Indians on Monday after missing Sunday's game with afl football a bruised right elbow. Cabrera initially came out of the second game of Saturday's doublehader with the Twins due to the minor injury. Acta said he never had the thought of shutting Cabrera down for the season's final three games. "No," Acta said. "He's fine." #149; Entering Monday's action, Indians left fielder Shelley Duncan was hitting .292 (21-for-72) with seven home runs, six doubles, 22 RBI afl football s and 14 runs scored in 23 games in September. Duncan's 22 RBIs for the month were the third most in the Majors for September, trailing only Texas' Adrian Beltre (25) and Detroit's Victor Martinez (24). afl football
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