Indians option Hagadone to Triple-A

CLEVELAND -- The Indians optioned struggling left-hander Nick Hagadone to Triple-A Columbus on Thursday, clearing a spot on their active roster on the eve of the opener of a four-game home series with the Mariners.

All signs point to Cleveland activating setup man Vinnie Pestano from the 15-day disabled list on Friday.

Pestano has been on the DL since May 6 with tendinitis in his right elbow, but the Tribe's eighth-inning reliever completed a successful Minor League rehab assignment with Class A Lake County on Wednesday. Pestano was technically eligible for activation on Thursday, but it was a team off-day.

Cleveland gave Pestano a week of rest following his appearance on April 28 against the Royals, but the discomfort in the pitcher's elbow persisted. That led to the disabled-list stint, which gave Pestano ample time to rest his ailing joint.

On the season, the 28-year-old Pestano has posted a 2.25 ERA with eight strikeouts in eight innings. Last year, the righty worked in 70 games and established a single-season franchise record with 36 holds as the primary setup man for closer Chris Perez. Over the past three years, Pestano has posted a 2.44 ERA with 168 strikeouts in 140 innings.

Hagadone opened the season strong, but a string of subpar outings pushed his ERA to 7.20 through 13 appearances. Over 10 innings, the lefty has allowed nine runs (eight earned) on seven hits with 12 strikeouts against 10 wlks. In his past three outings, Hagadone allowed seven runs (six earned) with four walks and only one strikeout in 1 1/3 innings.

The Indians still have two left-handers in the bullpen in Rich Hill and David Huff.