The Zach McAllister traveling train wreck has been sent down to Triple-A Columbus.
The Indians on Aug.1 designated McAllister for assignment, but that’s just a procedural move that will result in him being optioned to Columbus.
To replace McAllister on the roster, temporarily, the Indians recalled outfielder Tyler Holt from Columbus. A pitcher will have to be recalled from Columbus to take McAllister’s turn in the rotation, which comes up next on Aug. 5 against Cincinnati.
That pitcher will almost certainly be Josh Tomlin, who started at Columbus on July 31 and is thus lined up perfectly to start on Aug. 5.
Indians pitching technicians, meanwhile, are trying to brainstorm McAllister out of a horrendous slump that dates back to April 21, which is the last time he won a game for the Indians. Through his first four starts this year, he was 3-0 with a 2.28 ERA.
In 10 starts since then, McAllister is 0-6 with a 7.89 ERA.
Manager Terry Francona and his coaches met with McAllister for over an hour on Aug. 1 to assure the big right-hander that the organization isn’t giving up on him.
‘Sometimes young guys want to be so good so bad they lose track of how they got to the big leagues,’ Francona said.
Francona said McAllister might be going through a crisis of confidence, but the Indians are not. They are confident he will eventually figure things out.
‘He might be the hardest worker we have,’ Francona said.
The Aug. 1 meeting was to let McAllister know, as Francona said, ‘We are still in his corner.’
In a day or two, McAllister will meet with club officials again to map out a game plan for his time in Columbus.
‘We don’t want him to feel like he’s on an island, pitching all by himself down there,’ Francona said.
In 14 starts for the Indians this season, McAllister is 3-6 with a 5.91 ERA. Ouch!
Outfielder Chris Dickerson was still hurting Aug.1, one day after having to come out of a game on July 31 with discomfort in his left knee. Dickerson wasn’t able to play Aug. 1, which is why Holt was called up, but Francona said the hope is that Dickerson can be back in the lineup in a couple of days.
At Columbus, Holt was hitting .310 with two home runs and 29 RBI. Minor matters
Left-handed hitting first baseman Bobby Bradley, the Indians’ third-round pick in the June draft, is off to an impressive start in the Arizona Rookie League.
Bradley is leading the league in home runs (five), RBI (31), doubles (10), and slugging percentage (.631), and he’s second in hitting (.369) and on-base percentage (.454).
Outfielder Bradley Zimmer, the Indians’ first round pick, is hitting .284 with two home runs and 18 RBI at short-season Mahoning Valley. No homecoming
Rangers pitcher and Midview graduate Ryan Feierabend was designated for assignment mere hours prior to the Aug. 1 showdown between the Rangers and Indians, denying him the opportunity to pitch in front of his hometown fans. Notes
The Indians will unveil the Jim Thome statue in center field during a pre-game ceremony starting at 5 p.m. before the game Aug. 2. The first 12,500 fans will receive a Thome replica statue. Gates will open at 4:30 p.m. …The Indians were 14-12 in July. They were 11-17 in April, 15-13 in May and 13-13 in June. … At 7:05 p.m. on Aug. 2, T.J. House (1-2, 4.50) will face Miles Mikolas (1-3, 8.54).
