Pestano far from forgotten at Triple-A

CLEVELAND -- Vinnie Pestano was understandably upset when the Indians optioned him to Triple-A Columbus at the end of July.

But the reliever's spirits have since lifted, according to Tribe manager Terry Francona. Pestano and Francona were texting each other Thursday afternoon, and Francona said Pestano is far from forgotten, as much as the Indians are concerned.

"It's funny," Francona said, "because we sent the guy down, and I think we've had more conversations about him and with him than probably anybody in the organization. It's not out of sight, out of mind."

That makes sense, considering Pestano's contributions to the club. Last season, he set the single-season franchise record for holds with 36. The Tribe setup man compiled a 2.32 ERA in 2011 and 2.57 ERA in '12.

It's 2013 that has been difficult for Pestano. In 34 games before his demotion, he built a 4.05 ERA and 1.79 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

Pestano has appeared in three games for the Clippers since joining them last month. He has thrown 3 1/3 scoreless innings with zero hits, one walk and four strikeouts.

"To his credit, he's gone down there with a really good attitude, because it's not easy," Francona said. "This guy was the guy, man, for two years ... and all of a sudden you're sending him to Triple-A. That's hard. It's not fun for me. It's not fun for him. And I think he's handling it really well."