Cleveland Indians: Austin Jackson facing an uphill battle to make roster

The Cleveland Indians may have an outfield spot open to begin the 2017 season, but Austin Jackson does not have a clear path to a job.

The Cleveland Indians have most of the roster set for the 2017 season, but there is one name hanging over the team in a figurative cloud of uncertainty. And that name belongs to Michael Brantley.

Brantley has slowly been getting back to playing shape out in Goodyear, but fans still don’t know what his status will be for the start of the regular season. Perhaps the team doesn’t know either.

But if he isn’t healthy to start the year, the Indians will have an outfield spot open. And if they want to carry five outfielders in April, Austin Jackson is a player who could win that final job.

Jackson hasn’t played since last June, but is set to make his spring training debut for the Indians on Wednesday, according to Paul Hoynes of cleveland.com.

He was being eased back into action after suffering a knee injury last June that required surgery, and is in Goodyear to fight for a job in the outfield. However, he will need some help to even have a chance to compete.

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Help comes in the form of other players being injured, as there is no room for Jackson on the roster otherwise. If Brantley is healthy, the only way to force his way on to the roster would be to drastically outplay Abraham Almonte in March, but even then the team may choose to stick with Almonte, given the way Jackson’s 2016 season ended.

Another possibility is filling in for Tyler Naquin, who was removed from Sunday’s game after fouling a ball off his foot. However, it did not seem serious so let’s hope that remains true.

So given the Indians enter the season with at least four healthy outfielders, excluding Brantley, Jackson’s main competition for the final job may end up being Bradley Zimmer. However, the team may choose to go with four outfielders if Brantley only needs an extra week or so to get ready, so bringing in either player may not be worth it if that is the case.

Several players are awaiting news on Brantley to find out what their roles will be in 2017, but it is not likely Jackson earns a roster spot unless one of the team’s current outfielders, including Brantley, goes down with a long-term injury. Even if that does happen, Zimmer may be called upon over Jackson, as going with youth is safer than relying upon a veteran coming off knee surgery.

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There is plenty of time for Jackson to prove he deserves a roster spot in Cleveland, but his work may not make him a member of the Indians in 2017, barring any unforeseen injuries. However, it could help him land on another MLB team, helping to rejuvenate what has already been a successful career.