10 Indians players to watch in Summer Camp

CLEVELAND -- All 55 Indians players have reported to Progressive Field and are in the process of finishing their health screenings, which means they’re one step closer to taking the field in the first Summer Camp workout on Friday.

Forty players will practice at Progressive Field and the other 15 will head to Classic Park in Lake County, Ohio. Those in downtown Cleveland will be competing for a spot on the Opening Day roster -- which can hold 30 -- while those at the alternate training site will receive the developmental work they need. No matter where players are located, the next three weeks will be greatly important.

• 5 Tribe storylines to watch entering camp | Indians FAQ: Details on the upcoming season

Let’s take a look at 10 players to track this Summer Camp:

Outfielder Franmil Reyes
Entering Spring Training, Reyes said he felt more powerful at the plate than ever before. He certainly backed that statement up through the first four weeks of camp, turning every batting practice session into a personal Home Run Derby. He hit five homers and knocked in 11 runs in 10 Cactus League games. If the season would have begun on time, Reyes looked like he was ready to be a difference-maker in the middle of the order. The biggest question will be whether that power will be just as consistent after nearly a four-month break. If it is, he could be opposing pitchers' worst nightmare.

Outfielder Tyler Naquin
While everyone else has gone since March without playing in a game-like setting, Naquin has been waiting to get back into action since he tore the ACL in his right knee last August. The outfielder was given the green light to resume all baseball activities for Summer Camp and will be back in the running for a starting job. He’ll need to prove that he can play just as well as he was before he sustained the injury last year despite having to spend the last nine months rehabbing, and that he won’t need to platoon with Jordan Luplow in right field.

Right-hander Mike Clevinger
After suffering a partial meniscus tear in his left knee on the second day of Spring Training, Clevinger was on pace for the original Opening Day date of March 26. But the extra time off gave him the assurance that he’d be at full strength for the first game of the year; now he just needs to remain healthy through the coming three weeks. With a shortened season, the Indians’ rotation becomes even more vital than it already was, and losing Clevinger for any amount of time would be a hurdle tough to overcome.

Right-hander Carlos Carrasco
The concern with Carrasco is straightforward. The right-hander missed three months of last season due to a leukemia diagnosis, and even though that puts him in the high-risk category for the COVID-19 pandemic, he’s choosing to play in 2020. The club will go to extra lengths throughout camp and the regular season to make sure he’s as protected as possible, but he’ll certainly be one to watch over the next few weeks to make sure he feels he’s in a safe environment for the next three months.

Third baseman José Ramírez
In a 60-game season, there is no time for slow starts. And after the .198 batting average Ramírez owned through the first 66 games last season, the Indians will have to hope his second-half momentum is what they get in 2020. From June 14 until the end of the '19, Ramírez hit .314 with a 1.031 OPS in 63 contests. In games he recorded at least one RBI, the Tribe went 39-8. His success translates to team success.

Right-hander James Karinchak
Though he seems like an obvious choice for the bullpen despite his inexperience, Karinchak will still need to show over the next three weeks that his fastball command has improved. Once he was promoted to Triple-A Columbus last year, he permitted 13 free bases in just 17 1/3 innings. However, in those 17 1/3 frames, Karinchak also struck out 42 batters -- an astounding 21.8 strikeouts per nine innings. Even if his command isn’t top-notch, his stuff will likely be worth any risk, making him a fun arm to keep an eye on leading up to Opening Day.

Left-hander Anthony Gose
Speaking of fun arms to keep an eye on, Gose’s story is pretty incredible. He was a Major League outfielder as recently as 2016, converted to a pitcher in '17 and has quickly put himself on the Indians’ radar. The lefty’s heater was clocked at 100 mph this spring and casually sat around 96-98 mph. But Gose is another reliever who will have to prove that his fastball location can be accurate enough to get a shot in the big league bullpen. Last year, he posted a 3.50 ERA with Double-A Akron but permitted 20 walks in 18 innings. The command was looking better during Spring Training, but Summer Camp will tell us more.

Right-hander Cam Hill
Hill remains an under-the-radar candidate to break camp with the Tribe. The righty didn’t allow a run in seven appearances between Class A Mahoning Valley and Class A Advanced Lake County last year. He then posted a 4.74 ERA in 21 games for Triple-A Columbus, with 36 strikeouts in 24 2/3 innings. Hill made a great impression at Spring Training, allowing just one run in five innings (1.80 ERA), with two strikeouts and a walk. With a strong camp, he could be in the Indians’ bullpen this season.

Right-hander Triston McKenzie
Even though he’s not reporting to Progressive Field every day, McKenzie has been the topic of interest for many Indians fans. The 22-year-old missed all of 2019 with upper back and pectoral strains and hasn’t been in a game since August 2018. He’ll need some time back with the coaching staff and some reps in intrasquad scrimmages in Lake County before he’d be considered an option at the big league level, but if an injury to the starting rotation occurs, McKenzie may not be off the table with a solid camp.

Third baseman Nolan Jones
The club’s No. 1 overall prospect, according to MLB Pipeline, will continue getting reps in Lake County this season, but he probably has slightly less of a chance to make his debut than McKenzie. However, stranger things have happened. If the Indians catch the injury bug again, they have a limited pool to choose from without the Minor League season being played, and if Jones can stay hot over the next month, he could be an option to provide some infield depth.