CLEVELAND -- Lonnie Chisenhall smiled when approached by reporters in the Indians' clubhouse on Saturday afternoon. It was a smirk born of frustration in this here-we-go-again situation. The last thing the outfielder wanted to do was discuss an injury that he discussed so many times last year.
"Frustrating is a very nice word for it," Chisenhall said.
Chisenhall, 29, is on the 10-day disabled list with a right calf strain, which is the same injury that sidelined him for seven weeks in the second half last season. The outfielder re-injured his calf on April 7 during a home game against the Royals played in near-freezing temperatures. Over the past few days, Chisenhall was cleared to resume throwing and hitting off a tee.
Searching for a silver lining, Chisenhall said the good part this time around is that the injury happened early in the season. Barring any snags in his rehab, he could still aim to have a productive campaign after his return, though there is no firm timetable at the moment. Chisenhall added that he and the team's medical staff can draw on last season's experience, and the setbacks that occurred.
"Hindsight's actually helpful here," Chisenhall said. "I had a few hiccups when I did come back in September. There was a hiccup or two. We're trying to learn from all that. It's a weird injury -- the muscle it is. You don't see it a lot in baseball players, so it's a little more difficult."
In the seven games he played at the outset of this season, Chisenhall hit .235 with a .675 OPS. His hope going into the year was to build on last year's production, which included a .288 average and an .881 OPS in 82 games for the Indians. The problematic calf has hindered that possibility for the time being.
"I've learned some things about why it continues to bother me," Chisenhall said. "I'll try to stop it from happening in the future. It was early. Bad weather. It was just a bad series of events."
Worth noting
• Veteran first baseman Mike Napoli is scheduled to undergo season-ending surgery on his right knee in the upcoming week after sustaining a torn right ACL and meniscus with Triple-A Columbus on April 17. Manager Terry Francona said the first month of Napoli's rehab will take place in Columbus, but he may also spend time in Cleveland over the duration of the season.
"He's going to start doing his rehab there," Francona said. "And then, depending on what he does, he could do some of it here. We've kind of made that clear to him."
• Left-hander Andrew Miller (10-day DL, left hamstring) played catch prior to Saturday's game against the Mariners. While the Indians do not expect Miller to be sidelined for an extended period of time, Francona said there is no firm date yet for the lefty's first bullpen session after the injury.