GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Given the uncertainty that surrounds the Indians' outfield, the club was relieved to learn that center fielder Tyler Naquin's foot injury was not serious.
On Monday, Cleveland announced that Naquin only sustained a contusion after fouling a pitch off his right foot during Sunday's 8-2 win over San Diego. Due to the level of pain he was in, Naquin underwent X-rays, which came back negative for structural damage.
"He's fine," Indians manager Terry Francona said. "He just has a bruise. That was the hope. They did the ... scan here, and it was negative. Just because of the way he reacted to it, taking a half-hour to X-ray it doesn't seem to be a bad thing. Now, he knows. We'll give him a couple days to get some swelling out of there. He'll be fine."
In the fifth inning, Naquin fouled a pitch from San Diego's Jhoulys Chacin off his right foot and was in obvious discomfort. After a brief meeting with one of Cleveland's athletic trainers and Francona, Naquin left the game.
Naquin -- the third-place finisher in balloting for the American League Rookie of the Year Award last season -- currently projects to be the Tribe's main center fielder, with Lonnie Chisenhall in right field and Brandon Guyer mixing in at multiple spots. Abraham Almonte is competing for an outfield spot, along with Austin Jackson, among others.
Jackson is working his way back from a sore left knee and is scheduled to make his Cactus League debut on Thursday, per Francona. Left fielder Michael Brantley, who was limited to 11 games last season due to right shoulder and biceps woes, has resumed on-field batting practice in his latest comeback bid. Brantley had right biceps tenodesis surgery in August.