INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – There is a lot to look forward to with the 2022 Indianapolis Indians, who kick of their season on Tuesday.
Indianapolis is expected to have prospects at nearly every position on the field, including top prospect Oneil Cruz and top pitcher Roansy Contreras. The team hosted its media day on Sunday, and the feeling of excitement for the young core was evident.
“We have some great hitters with the group of guys that we are going to have,” Indianapolis manager Miguel Perez said. “It is going to be a fun year with that group. Hopefully I don’t get to see them much, which is a good thing. We have a special group.”
Perez expects the group to bring a lot of passion and energy to every facet of the game.
“They are going to bring excitement on the bases and at the plate,” Perez said. “They are going to bring excitement on the field.”
Travis Swaggerty Update
Coming back from right shoulder surgery that wiped out most of his 2021 campaign, Travis Swaggerty said that his right shoulder is completely 100 percent.
He did mention, however, that he had a bit of a setback with his left throwing shoulder. With this, he expects to be limited to acting as the DH for the first week or so of the season, but will not see his season start delayed.
“I had a setback throwing when I got to Spring Training,” Swaggerty said “My offseason, being as hectic as it was, there was a lot of stop and start. I don’t think my arm was quite ready when I got to camp. With the build up, I had a setback. Now, I’m working my way back up and should be playing the outfield rather soon.”
He said that he expects to DH the first week, and throw to bases during game preparation. Once he passes that hurdle, he will be cleared to play in the outfield.
Roansy Contreras not yet with team
Roansy Contreras was not yet with the team for the group media day on Sunday. It is possible that Contreras does not join the group until Thursday.
Additionally, with being on the 40-man roster, Contreras had more of a delayed start to Spring Training than a lot of his teammates in Indianapolis due to the lockout.
Indianapolis pitching coach Dan Meyer expects the delayed start to have some impact in the first month or so of the season, but not long-lasting.
“I’m sure they are not going to be as built up,” Meyer said. “That is the only thing that I think could be the main factor. That is just more for health. That’s not just (Contreras), but other guys as well, make sure we err on the side of caution. With a different Spring and different time frames, guys are pretty heavily routine oriented at times. If we are just smart about how we handle workload, start the season, and build guys up, it should take some time, but I don’t think it will be anything crazy.
