More Time Needed For Urshela

GOODYEAR, Ariz.—It didn’t take long for 24-year-old Giovanny Urshela to become the odd man out in the competition to be Opening Day third baseman.

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Viewing Juan Uribe as an ideal stopgap option, the Indians signed the 37-year-old to a one-year deal at the start of training camp.

The move will likely bump Urshela off the big league roster, allowing him more time to develop at Triple-A Columbus.

Urshela last year had his moments, both good and bad, as a midseason callup. The good: Urshela’s plus glove helped tighten what had been a leaky Indians defense in the first half of the season.

The bad was Urshela’s bat. In 81 games, he hit .225/.279/.330 with six home runs. Indians officials spent the offseason considering potential upgrades at third base, not because they had given up on Urshela, who signed out of Colombia in 2008, but because he is not yet a finished product.

“We were trying to find a way to give Gio some more development time,” big league manager Terry Francona said. “Because Gio catches the ball so well, we were OK with him starting the season with us, but it’s probably more beneficial for him to go to Triple-A.”

Unlike shortstop Francisco Lindor, who never looked back following his callup, Urshela’s big league future is much more uncertain, and will depend greatly on how his bat develops.

In 2014, in a combined 485 at-bats at Columbus and Double-A Akron, Urshela hit .280/.334/.491 with 36 doubles, 18 home runs and 84 RBIs.

He has had some injury setbacks since then, but the team still has hopes for Urshela’s return to the majors as a more complete player.

“I’m sure there was some disappointment, and I don’t blame him,” said Francona, of Urshela’s reaction to the signing of Uribe. “But we talked to him, and he fully understands it. You watch the way he goes through his day (and) he’s handled it pretty well.”

SMOKE SIGNALS

• Francona has been impressed by shortstop Erik Gonzalez. “He’s very exciting,” he said. “Defensively, he’s one of the best defenders in camp.”

• Former big league lefthander Bruce Chen was in camp as the organization’s cultural development coordinator.