Westbrook Working His Way Back To Tribe

CLEVELAND -- Jake Westbrook is the Indians' sixth man, waiting to contribute off the bench. He'll be waiting awhile, as his return to big league action following Tommy John elbow ligament replacement surgery isn't slated to take place until late June or July. And even when the 31-year-old Westbrook comes off the bench, the Indians will have to curb their enthusiasm over what he might contribute to the starting rotation. "I think we have to be really careful with him," manager Eric Wedge said, adding that the team needs to "make sure the expectations are realistic when he does come back." A recent study by the American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine found that the success rate for major league pitchers returning to their same or better level of play after Tommy John is about 75 percent. So that bodes well for Westbrook contributing something positive to the middle of the rotation. But he's got plenty of work to do before he's once again ready for prime time. Westbrook started playing ... (link)