Ramírez, Reyes return to Tribe, apologize

SURPRISE, Ariz. -- After José Ramírez and Franmil Reyes broke COVID-19 protocols on Friday, the two were officially cleared to rejoin the Indians on Tuesday morning.

Both Ramírez and Reyes were back at the Tribe’s Spring Training facility for morning workouts before the team’s 9-2 road win over the Rangers later that afternoon. Manager Terry Francona said that the two will be back in the lineup for Wednesday’s game against the Angels (live on MLB.TV).

But before they rejoined the Tribe, both stood in front of their teammates to issue an apology for breaking protocols.

“And there was more to it than that leading up to it,” Francona said. “I was actually really proud of them both. I know they missed some time, and that’s not what we’re shooting for, but I was actually really proud of them. What’s more important to me is where we go from here.”

Reyes and Ramírez have earned their way back onto the squad, but whether they receive any other forms of punishment is going to remain in-house.

“What I would say about it is that, because we’re a team -- and we told the guys this -- through thick and thin, or good and bad, we’re a team,” Francona said. “José and Franmil both addressed the team and in a very thoughtful and sincere way. … The idea is never to embarrass anybody, and I explained that to José and Franmil. I’m really comfortable where we are right now. And like anything that doesn’t go perfect, where you go from there is what’s really meaningful. I think we’re gonna be OK."

The Tribe had to handle almost this exact situation last July, when Reyes attended a get-together without a mask. Then, in August, the team went through another similar scenario when Mike Clevinger and Zach Plesac broke team protocols on the road in Chicago. Now, the Indians are focused on continuing to communicate with their players about exactly what’s expected of them.

“We have tried to make sure we keep in the loop every morning,” Francona said. “Technically on March 1, the guys were gonna be allowed to dine at restaurants, and then the night before we got a memo saying no, hold off on that. And then I think it was about three days later that they got outdoor dining -- it’s kind of a moving target at times. So we’ve really tried to keep players in the loop.”

Civale pleased with his spring progression
After Aaron Civale decided to start from scratch this offseason and reinvent himself as a pitcher, the right-hander has seen nothing but success on the rubber in his short time in Spring Training. Through his first two outings (including a 2 2/3-inning intrasquad start), he held his opponents hitless before giving up his first hit on a solo homer on Tuesday. Civale still finished the afternoon having allowed just one run on two hits with one strikeout in three frames.

“I don’t really have a gauge for the standard for where I should be in Spring Training in terms of preparing for 162 [games], but I feel like I’m in a good spot and where I need to be, if not ahead,” Civale said. “And just get some good work in out there and feel comfortable with the pitches I’m throwing, so just continue with the path I’m on and just trust those around me and those that have done it before to keep an eye on things. But I think I’m in a good spot, and I’ll continue to work and develop.”

Civale said the goal was to report to Spring Training ready to throw two or three innings, and he worked three innings before he even showed up in Goodyear, Ariz. Now, he thinks it’s time to start stretching himself out even further.

“I think I’m around 50 pitches,” Civale said. “Just gonna, next outing, probably progress to four [innings] and then go from there, most likely be ready for six-plus once the season starts, because that’s kind of the progression that a lot of us are on.”

Sandlin makes spring debut
Francona couldn’t have spoken more highly about the Tribe’s No. 30 prospect (2020), according to MLB Pipeline, before he made his spring debut on Monday. And when Nick Sandlin toed the rubber against the Mariners, he tossed a hitless ninth inning with two walks and two strikeouts.

“His stuff was really good,” Francona said. “You could tell that he’s comfortable with throwing his breaking ball at any time in the count, which is a good thing. And again, you try to give the kid a little bit of a pass, it’s his first time in a Major League game. It’s a 10-0 game, and he’s throwing a 3-2 breaking ball, but I get it. The more reps he gets under his belt, especially here, the more comfortable you’ll see him. But this kid has an extremely bright future.”