Santana on paternity list; Sands gets callup
SEATTLE -- The Indians will be without first baseman Carlos Santana for a handful of days at the start of their seven-game road trip through Seattle and Kansas City.
Prior to Thursday's game against the Mariners, Cleveland placed Santana on Major League Baseball's paternity list, which allows a player to be away from the team for a maximum of three days. Santana and his wife, Brittany, welcomed a daughter on Thursday morning back in Cleveland.
Indians manager Terry Francona said it is undecided whether Santana will rejoin the team in Seattle or wait until Tuesday in Kansas City. With it being a day game in Seattle on Sunday, followed by an off-day on Monday, Francona said it might not work to have Santana return for the final game of the four-game set against the Mariners.
"Don't get me wrong, we'd love to have him back," Francona said. "But I'm not sure if it makes sense for him to come out from Cleveland to Seattle for a day game, with a day off [Monday]. ... Maybe Carlos will want to come out early. Who knows? He's going to be welcomed back, believe me, as soon as he can, but we're trying to be sensible about it."
If Santana does not rejoin the team on Sunday, Cleveland may need to transfer him on the restricted list for a day or two.
Francona noted that Santana's wife was originally due on Saturday, but the early arrival allowed him to avoid being in Seattle when the baby arrived.
"Brittany, I think, deserves a lot of credit here," Francona joked. "I know Carlos was excited. He sent some pictures to us."
To fill Santana's spot on the roster, the Indians have selected the contract of first baseman and corner outfielder Jerry Sands from Triple-A Columbus. Cleveland's 40-man roster had been reduced to 39 when the team designated catcher Brett Hayes for assignment on Sunday, so a subsequent move to add Sands was not necessary.
This will be the second stint this season with the Tribe for the 27-year-old Sands -- a right-handed hitter used mostly against lefty pitching. In Seattle, Cleveland is scheduled to face three left-handed starters in the four games at Safeco Field.
In 21 games at Triple-A, Sands hit .257 with four home runs, 14 RBIs and an .858 OPS for Columbus after being outrighted to the Minor League affiliate on May 3. Prior to being sent down, Sands hit .348 (8-for-23) with two doubles and four RBIs in nine games for the Indians, who originally called him up from the Minors on April 10 before designating him for assignment on April 29.
Santana, who is expected to join Cleveland later on this road trip, has hit .221 with six home runs, 27 RBIs and an American League-high 37 walks through 42 games.