Indians activate Edwin Encarnacion; Rajai Davis to the DL

And Yandy Diaz’s roster spot for the rest of the season is secure.

The Cleveland Indians have activated Edwin Encarnacion from the DL. While all signs seemed to indicate that his return would mean a return trip to Triple-A Columbus for Yandy Diaz, the slugger has been granted a reprieve, as the Indians have placed outfielder Rajai Davis on the 10-Day DL with a “non-baseball related medical condition.”

The reason for Davis’ DL stint is vague and the timing a bit convenient considering the recent drama surrounding what, up until today, seemed to be Diaz’s inevitable demotion back to the minors, but I’m not going to poke at it too much considering the Indians’ most recent brush with a “non-baseball related medical condition” was no laughing matter.

For what it’s worth, Davis is expected to be back by Sept. 1 when, conveniently, the roster expands. So it appears Diaz will spend the rest of his season with the club in Cleveland.

Davis has been largely absent from the Indians’ lineup in the month of August, thanks to the emergence of rookie center fielder Greg Allen both at the plate and in the field. He has not been in the starting lineup since Aug. 10 and has only started two games this month.

Diaz, although currently mired in a 3-for-20 slump, is slashing .350/.381/.450 in 12 games this season. It will be interesting to see if manager Terry Francona gets creative with first base and the designated hitter spot, utilizing a combination of Diaz, Encarnacion, and Yonder Alonso, especially with how much the latter has struggled in the second half.