Yu Chang strong Spring Training Camp earns him starting spot on MLB Opening Day for Cleveland Indians

Yu Chang had a strong spring training camp, slugging .692 and 4 homeruns.  Tops on the team.

The Detroit Tigers are starting left-hander Matthew Boyd and, as a result, Jordan Luplow and Yu Chang will find their way into Cleveland’s Opening Day lineup Thursday afternoon.

Luplow will draw the start in center field and Yu Chang will man first base. Those two positions represent the biggest question marks for Cleveland entering the season.

Center field figures to be a split between Ben Gamel, Amed Rosario (primarily a shortstop who has been receiving time in center field) and Luplow. As the season wears on, it’s possible Rosario will receive more at-bats against left-handed starters, but he’s still a work-in-progress defensively in the outfield. That factor, along with the Tigers throwing Boyd, were trending toward Luplow being the opening day center fielder.

“That’s why we had [Luplow] play two games and a B game and we put him over there several times in the last bunch of A games, to get his comfort there,” manager Terry Francona said on a Zoom call. “The way he’s swinging the bat he deserves a chance to play some. Against a lefty seems to make sense. It just so happens that opening day they’re pitching a lefty.”

Rosario’s move to center field with Andres Gimenez taking over at shortstop helped to open up a roster spot as the utility infielder for Chang, who has displayed a level of power both at last year’s summer camp and in Cactus League play this spring. Jake Bauers will be the primary first baseman to start the season, with Bobby Bradley beginning the year in the minor leagues. But both are left-handed hitters, allowing for platoon possibilities.

The team has remained high on Chang, though he hasn’t often had regular opportunities in the past with Cleveland’s infield in previous seasons being set.

“I think he went from a kid to a man. Even when you watch him in his uniform, he’s stronger, he’s more agile, he’s more sure of himself,” Francona said of Chang. “Are there going to be hiccups? I don’t know. There usually are.

“But he’s situated to handle things better than he has in the past. You watch him at the plate, he looks confident. Even when he fouls balls off you’ll see him with a little smile on his face like, ‘Man, I just missed that.’ I just think he’s maturing and growing up.”