Cleveland Indians: Can Giovanny Urshela get the bat going?

The Cleveland Indians have several infield options to deploy this season. Giovanny Urshela will be one of those options, if he can start hitting.

Urshela’s ability at the plate has been his downfall in the major leagues. He’s a career .225/.273/.314 hitter and hasn’t shown any ability to hit for power or steal bases. But in the minors, Urshela’s been able to consistently bat between .270 and .280, which isn’t great, but it’s not horrible either.

But his major league bat has been horrible. The only reason he’s been able to make a few trips to the big leagues is because of his defense. He’s a good utility infielder that can play any of the four positions, but is at his best at third base.

Let’s face it, with Jose Ramirez, Jason Kipnis, Erik Gonzalez, and Yandy Diaz all competing for those same spots in the infield, it will be hard for Urshela to get some regular playing time. And even in the case of injury, if he doesn’t provide anything offensively, Urshela won’t get into the lineup.

Spring Training is very important for Urshela this season. With Michael Martinez on the shelf for the next several months, Urshela can solidify himself as the utility option for the Indians infield. But he needs to start hitting. If he can get on base on a regular basis in camp, he can earn a spot on the roster. But if the bat fails to improve, Yandy Diaz could earn the spot over him.

Diaz, who has a much higher offensive potential, isn’t as great as a defender as Urshela is. So Urshela needs to find a groove at the plate to prove he belongs.

What does Urshela need to do?

Urshela can hit around .280 in Triple-A, he’s proven that. He needs to hit a lot closer to that batting average than the .225 he’s been at during his MLB career so far. Can he do it? Maybe. Spring Training will be what tests whether or not Urshela can hit this season. He figures to get a lot of at-bats in the spring as the Cleveland Indians decide whether to go with him, Gonzalez, or Diaz on the roster.

Urshela has talent. He wouldn’t have made it this far if he didn’t have any, but his bat just hasn’t shown up in the big leagues yet. If he can’t find his stroke at the plate, he may find himself out of Cleveland. Urshela has no minor league options remaining, while Diaz still has two options. If the Cleveland Indians don’t want to lose the rights to Urshela, they will be forced to keep him on the roster.

We will either see Urshela on the Indians roster come Opening Day, or he will be exposed to waivers where other teams can claim him.

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The Indians have great starting options across the infield. The biggest battle will be fighting for the backup roles behind Ramirez, Kipnis, and Lindor. If Urshela can get his bat going, he can earn that spot.