 |
 |
 |
|
NEW YORK -- The slumping Cleveland Indians designated outfielder Jason Michaels for assignment on Tuesday and recalled Ben Francisco from Triple-A Buffalo.
| Advertisement |
|||
| |||
Michaels was batting just .207, one of many Indians regulars stuck in an early-season hitting funk. Cleveland entered a three-game series with the Yankees batting only .242 -- the second-lowest average in the AL -- and ranking near the bottom in every major offensive category.
The Indians have 10 days to trade or release Michaels, who had one hit in his last 21 at-bats.
Francisco batted .346 in spring training but didn't make Cleveland's roster. This is his second stint with the club this season.
General manager Mark Shapiro had to try something to spark his club.
"One move is not going to solve our offensive woes," he said. "Jason Michaels certainly wasn't the primary cause of them. When you have five to seven guys struggling, you can't make one or two moves and solve the problem. The answer has to come from within.
"Our primary focus is on getting the players here turned around and performing at the levels we expect them to perform at."
