The Indians were forced to say goodbye to one of their most beloved young prospects Friday, officially designating infielder Gio Urshela for assignment.
Both Urshela and fellow infielder Erik Gonzalez were out on minor league options, which meant a decision had to be made. While Urshela has been recovering from an injury suffered in spring training, Gonzalez has more than impressed by hitting .391 in a utility role.
Urshela could still return to the Indians organization in 10 days if another team does not claim him off waivers. However, most believe that is highly unlikely.
Originally called up in 2015 (along with then-rookie phenom Francisco Lindor), the Colombian-born Urshela dazzled in the field that season with 10 TotalZone runs at third base. Many felt he would solidify the hot corner for the Tribe, but he struggled at the plate, slashing just .225/.279/.330 in 81 games with a paltry OPS+ of 63.
Urshela spent the entire 2016 season in the minor leagues before being called back up in 2017 and once again proved solid defensively with four TotalZone runs in 67 games. However, his OPS+ dropped even further to 43, and later made two costly errors in Game 4 of the team's ALDS loss to the New York Yankees.
In addition to the infield, the Indians also shuffled their bullpen a bit, bringing up 34-year-old right-hander Alexi Ogando from AAA Columbus. Ogando, who last pitched in the majors in 2016, has a 3.47 ERA in 283 career games and had been 2-0 with a 2.89 ERA in four starts this year with the Clippers.
To make room on the roster for Ogando, lefty Jeff Beliveau (who allowed four runs in just three and a third innings) was designated for assignment.
