Indians: Bradley Zimmer gets his shot and needs to finally step up

This could be Bradley Zimmer’s last chance with the Indians

Bradley Zimmer debuted on Thursday for the Indians to start his 2021 campaign. This is probably his last attempt to prove to the organization that he’s worth the time and energy. The 28-year-old has struggled with injuries and consistency since he was called up in 2017, and hasn’t really shown much progress at the plate or staying healthy.

The team is no longer in a situation where they afford to give Zimmer time to adjust and get better, he’s quickly aging out of excuses. More than that, the Indians need production from anywhere they can find it and if it’s not going to be from him, it’s going to be from someone.

He returned to the lineup hitting 9th on Thursday, going 0-2 with one walk and one strikeout for the day. Not a great start to the season for Zimmer but there’s time for him to prove himself still.

Bradley Zimmer wasn’t having the greatest season in Triple-A Columbus.

Owen Miller got the callup because he was hitting over .400 in Triple-A and was playing great defense. His callup made sense, as he was a player at a position of need with a hot-bat. Bradley Zimmer was neither on a hot streak nor at a huge position of need.

Granted the whole outfield needs help but the biggest issue isn’t replacing an outfielder, but replacing Franmil Reyes’ production; something Zimmer might not be able to do.

During his time in Triple-A Columbus, Zimmer only hit .250, with no home runs, four RBIs, 10 base on balls (walks), and a whopping 25 strikeouts. His callup was less about him finally finding his stroke as a hitter, and more about the Indians needing healthy bodies to play, after a string of injuries have left them hurting.

It’s unlikely that Zimmer finally lives up to the hype after all these years, but anything is certainly possible and if he can find that stroke needed to succeed, then we’ll all be happier for it.