5 burning questions in the AL Central

Only the Twins and Indians remain in the playoff hunt with less than a month remaining in the regular season, but that doesn't mean that the other teams in the American League Central can completely close the book on the 2019 campaign just yet.

For younger players on the White Sox, Tigers and Royals, September offers a chance to prove themselves in more extended action at the Major League level and begin their auditions for roles on next year's squad -- and beyond. The Twins and Indians, of course, are trying to extract every ounce of competitive ability from their rosters during the playoff hunt and determine the best way to deploy those players in September and, possibly, October.

With that in mind, we examined one question that each team in the division will be looking to answer over the final three weeks of the regular season.

Indians: Can they replace the bats of Jose Ramirez and Tyler Naquin?

The Indians have struggled to get the timely hit all season long. Entering play on Wednesday, the team ranked 27th of the 30 clubs with a .246 batting average with runners in scoring position in 2019. The loss of two of their hottest bats will only make it more difficult to plate runs as the Tribe attempts to hang on to one of the top two AL Wild Card spots over the final four weeks of the season.

The team will need Yasiel Puig to heat up in order for the answer of that question to be a "yes." In his first 14 games in an Indians uniform, Puig hit .370 with a 1.035 OPS. In his 14 contests since then, he's batted just .135 with a .442 OPS.

-- Mandy Bell

Royals: Who will play center field in 2020?

Consider the month of September a bit of an audition for the center-field job next season. With a healthy Adalberto Mondesi back at shortstop, Nicky Lopez moves back to second base, which pushes Whit Merrifield back to right field.

Right now, both Brett Phillips and Bubba Starling provide excellent defense in center field. Phillips already has two five-star catches, per Statcast -- both in the last week. But both Phillips and Starling have struggled offensively, so each of them needs to show something at the plate in these final few weeks. Both Phillips and Starling can play a solid right field as well, but that's where Merrifield will play down the stretch.

Depending on whether Alex Gordon will return in 2020, Merrifield could be an option in left field, which would free up Phillips or Starling to perhaps play right in 2020.

-- Jeffrey Flanagan

Tigers: Is Willi Castro the everyday shortstop for next year and beyond?

The Tigers called up Castro in late August in the hopes of settling this now rather than waiting until September. Though the switch-hitting 22-year-old batted well enough at Triple-A Toledo to warrant a callup sooner, his defensive lapses at short prompted some evaluators to wonder whether he’s a better fit at second base.

If he can handle shortstop in Detroit from Opening Day next season, the Tigers can cross that spot off their offseason shopping list, much to general manager Al Avila’s delight. If not, the Tigers not only have to worry about shortstop next year, but in the long term. Could the large but strong-armed Isaac Paredes step over from third base and handle the position well enough with shifts to overlook his range issues? Could Sergio Alcantara hit respectably enough to put his outstanding glove in a regular role?

-- Jason Beck

Twins: Can Brusdar Graterol pitch himself into a playoff bullpen?

Graterol, the Twins' top pitching prospect, was called up to the Major Leagues for the first time as part of September roster expansion, but neither manager Rocco Baldelli nor his pitching coaches -- Wes Johnson and Jeremy Hefner -- began the Graterol era knowing what exactly to expect from the hard-throwing 21-year-old. Baldelli had only seen Graterol throw a few bullpen sessions, while Hefner had not worked with Graterol at all.

They only have a month to figure out how effective Graterol's arsenal -- highlighted by a fastball around the triple digits -- will be in the Major Leagues, and whether he can be a true contributor to a run through the postseason. So far, the Twins have only seen one scoreless inning from Graterol, and as Johnson pointed out after the prospect's Sunday debut, it's tough to figure out what -- if anything -- a pitcher needs to work on after having seen him for only one effective outing.

Graterol will likely figure into some lower-leverage situations to begin his career as the coaching staff feels him out. How his usage evolves through September could offer a strong hint as to where he falls on the Twins' bullpen spectrum.

White Sox: How does Zack Collins figure into the catching plans?

The team’s top pick from the 2016 Draft has returned as a September callup after struggling mightily during his first stint with the White Sox in '19. But those struggles were a necessity for Collins to alter his approach to find offensive success. Collins will play regularly over the final month, but manager Rick Renteria indicated that Collins will only catch a handful of times -- or less -- with James McCann and Welington Castillo on the roster.

Collins' future seems to fall under the designated hitter/catcher/first base combination role, presenting a left-handed power bat and good on-base potential. Even if Collins doesn't receive a plethora of time behind the plate in September, the team needs to figure out where he fits in the catching picture moving forward as the offseason looms.

-- Scott Merkin