Indians Manager Terry Francona Says Slugger Edwin Encarnacion Could Be Activated Thursday

The Indians have been playing well minus not having two of their biggest players on the roster, with slugger Edwin Encarnacion on the DL with a bicep injury, and starter Trevor Bauer also on the disabled list with a leg fracture.

While Bauer is still a few weeks from coming back, it sounds like Encarnacion could be back by the end of the week.

“He’s doing good. I don’t think we will activate him tomorrow, but Thursday seems like a real possibility,” Tribe manager Terry Francona said on Tuesday via Jordan Bastian at MLB.com.

“We’ll just take it day by day. He’s doing so good that we just want to do the right thing. Everything’s going good. The bicep, he doesn’t feel. And the hand gets better every day. When you watch him hit, he looks like Edwin, which is good.”

Encarnacion this season is hitting .229 (88-for-384) with 25 homers, 81 RBI and 56 runs.

The activation of Encarnacion likely will mean a tough roster decision, as Yandy Diaz who has just about done everything right at the Major League level in his two call-ups since the All-Star break is probably the odd man out.

Diaz came into Tuesday’s game against the Red Sox hitting .371 (13-for-35) with no homers and seven runs batted in.

The good news for Diaz and the Indians is that his trip back to Columbus will be a short one, as he’ll likely be added to the roster once it expands come the first of September.