Santana back in lineup; Salazar should make next start

CLEVELAND -- One day after they each dealt with injury issues, first baseman Carlos Santana and starter Danny Salazar were on the mend for the Indians.

Santana was hit on the left wrist by a pitch from Texas reliever Shawn Tolleson in the ninth inning of Tuesday's 4-3 loss to the Rangers. The first baseman stayed in the game, and X-rays came back negative for structural damage, but manager Terry Francona was still surprised that Santana felt well enough to play on Wednesday.

"I was happily shocked," Francona said on Wednesday morning. "I checked on him this morning ... and he said, 'I'm good to go.' I try never to be pessimistic -- I don't think that's my nature -- but I just didn't think that's how he was going to feel this morning."

Santana was in the lineup in his usual roles as the No. 2 hitter and first baseman.

In the fifth inning on Tuesday, Salazar sustained a small cut near his fingernail while throwing a slider to Prince Fielder, who crushed the pitch for a three-run home run. The hard-throwing righty remained in the game for 5 2/3 innings, but pitching coach Mickey Callaway indicated that the pitcher's finger was tender on Wednesday morning.

Video: TEX@CLE: Salazar bothered by finger, stays in game

"We're going to take a day off from throwing today, get back to his bullpen [on Thursday]," Callaway said. "[We'll] probably do something like all fastballs. It really bothers him on his offspeed pitches. He really kind of yanks on that part of the finger. He should be fine for his next start."