Cleveland Indians: How much time will Rajai Davis actually see?

The Cleveland Indians brought back a beloved player in Rajai Davis this spring and he ended up making the team. How much playing time will he actually see?

While Davis has certainly been a fan favorite, the chances of him being an everyday player this season are slim. Even with Michael Brantley on the disabled list, there are other outfield options for the Tribe.

With younger options in Tyler Naquin, Bradley Zimmer, and Brandon Guyer for the outfield, the 37 year old Davis may be at a slight disadvantage because the team is going to want to get these younger players established in the big leagues. But the experience that Davis brings means that manager Terry Francona is more likely to trust Davis in big situations.

On Opening Day, Davis was brought in as a late pinch runner for Edwin Encarnacion. Despite being in his late 30s, Davis still has good speed and I think we’ll see him as a pinch runner often this year.

Could Davis earn a platoon?

A strict platoon is the best case scenario for getting Davis the most playing time. All of the regular starting outfielders, Naquin, Zimmer, Brantley, and Lonnie Chisenhall are left handed hitters. Only Davis and Guyer are right handed in the outfield. Considering that Davis is still a better player than Guyer, he’ll likely get the first crack at the platoon.

Putting Zimmer or Naquin out there against righties will work just fine, but platooning them with Davis batting against lefties should work out even better. Let’s take a look at Rajai Davis’ career splits against righties and lefties.

Vs. RHP: .254/.298/.359 slash line with an OPS+ of 89

Vs. LHP: .284/.340/.432 slash line with an OPS+ of 121

Obviously Davis does much better facing southpaws. That’s why he should be in the outfield on a platoon basis facing every left handed pitcher the Cleveland Indians have to face. It’s simply the best way to utilize him.

Even when Brantley returns Davis should be able to platoon in center with Bradley Zimmer. If Zimmer can’t prove this season that he can hit well enough to earn a full time role, then a platoon is the best option for the rest of 2018. The Tribe needs to give Zimmer opportunities to succeed, but they’re going to reach a point where they need to go with the hot bat and that could end up being Davis.

A platoon is most likely going to be the first option on the table for Terry Francona. Having Davis and Zimmer split time in center is a good strategy to get the most out of both players. But if Zimmer falters during the season and is just unable to get anything going offensively, it shouldn’t surprise anyone to see Davis take over the starting role full time.

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The Cleveland Indians have to be patient with Zimmer, but if Rajai Davis is outplaying him and it’s getting down to the homestretch, the team needs to put the nine best players on the field.