CLEVELAND — The Indians are aware their lineup is a bit off balance, particularly in the outfield. But with so many variables and the need to gather information with a bigger picture in mind, it's not a problem easily solved.

The Indians have played the last several weeks with only one outfielder capable of hitting from the right side. Greg Allen held that distinction for a stretch as a switch-hitter, but after collecting just four hits in 38 at-bats, he was optioned to Triple-A and Jordan Luplow was brought up I-71 to Cleveland. Since being recalled, Luplow, a right-handed hitter, has played well and seems to have a renewed confidence.

The Indians have needed a right-handed hitter who can play the outfield to help balance the lineup for the past several years while knowing opposing teams would throw every lefty they have at them. That role was filled by Brandon Guyer for a while prior to 2019, and Luplow is needed to at least fill that void. But four left-handed outfielders have left the bottom of the lineup in a position where it'll often lose the platoon advantage.

Once teams get past Francisco Lindor, Jason Kipnis, Jose Ramirez and Carlos Santana in the top four spots of the lineup, the Indians on some days only have one right-handed hitter remaining: Roberto Perez or Kevin Plawecki in the catcher's spot. The rest has been filled out by Carlos Gonzalez, Jake Bauers, Leonys Martin and/or Tyler Naquin, all lefties.

Luplow producing from his spot helps when he plays, but it hasn't solved things entirely.

Although it might create a strong advantage against a right-handed starter, that isn't necessarily the case, either. If Luplow continues to hit, Indians manager Terry Francona doesn't necessarily want to just take his bat out of the lineup because they have so many lefties.

"In fact, I was just looking at that now, because a guy swings the bat that good, I don’t want to be the one to cool him off," Francona said after Luplow hit two home runs in the Indians' 5-0 win over the Chicago White Sox on Thursday. "But we don’t want him to be strictly a platoon guy. It’s hard though when you have three other guys that are left-handed, so, you know, we’ll see.”

Francona has, in the past, discussed how the Indians wouldn't carry a left-handed reliever just for the sake of having one. There needed to be a more compelling reason based on performance. Likewise, they won't simply carry a right-handed outfielder (namely Allen as a switch-hitter or Oscar Mercado) just because it makes sense from a platoon standpoint if that role won't benefit them enough.

It creates an inexact science to managing and filling out not only the roster, but also the lineup on a daily basis.

There's also a larger picture to consider, and the Indians need as much information as possible before certain deadlines that will require roster moves. And that can play a key role in when certain players — namely Mercado — are promoted.

Next spring is one deadline, and it applies to Luplow, who will be out of minor-league options after this season. The other, more urgent date is July 31 and the trade deadline. By that point, and really a few weeks before that, the Indians need to know where they stand with Carlos Gonzalez, Tyler Naquin and others.

As they prepare for the trade deadline with a finite amount of resources with which to assemble the roster before the push for October, knowing the club's needs (outfield, bullpen) is priority one. Gonzalez was brought in on a low-risk minor-league deal to see if he could be an answer to one of their roster spot questions.

Naquin, meanwhile, has struggled for two seasons due to both inconsistency and injuries since his torrid rookie year. But as Francona said just as the season was beginning, the Indians wanted to get him regular at-bats beyond a simple platoon role.

If one or both produce at a higher level, it might alter the Indians' trade focus a bit (or allow them to push all their chips into one pile), especially if some in the bullpen begin to falter, and vice versa.

Which brings Mercado into the situation.

The #UnleashMercado movement has picked up steam. A right-handed, versatile outfielder, Mercado has hit .288 with an .870 OPS in Triple-A this season. He's cooled off a touch since a blazing start, but it seems to be only a matter of time before Mercado makes his big-league debut in 2019. The bigger question that remains is simply how soon?

When Allen was demoted, Luplow — who was also raking at Triple-A — was promoted over Mercado. He has done well, but it seems almost certain that Mercado will be unleashed at some point in the near future. But the Indians' need for answers at the major league level might have thrown a wrench into otherwise straightforward plans.
