Bisons notebook
Reinforcements from Cleveland start arriving today
A new schedule of injury rehab assignments came out of Cleveland Sunday and the lineup looks like this: Designated hitter Travis Hafner and infielder Josh Barfield will join the Buffalo Bisons tonight in Dunn Tire Park and catcher Victor Martinez will be here Tuesday.
Prior to Saturday’s game against Los Angeles in Progressive Field, Indians manager Eric Wedge indicated Tuesday might be the day for the new arrivals but the Tribe decided Sunday to send Hafner a day earlier than that.
Hafner is slated to start as Buffalo’s designated hitter tonight and make two plate appearances in the series opener against the Lehigh Valley IronPigs (7 p. m., Radio 1520 AM). Barfield is scheduled to play second base for six innings. Martinez is scheduled to catch six innings of Tuesday’s game.
All three players are expected to be with the Bisons throughout the four-game series against the Iron- Pigs that concludes with Thursday’s 1:05 game. They may also travel to Syracuse for the team’s series there Friday and Saturday.
Hafner has not played since May 25 due to chronic pain and weakness in his right shoulder. Martinez — who led all major-league catchers in home runs and RBIs last season — has been out since early June due to elbow surgery. Barfield, who played 62 games in Buffalo at the start of this season, had finger surgery in June.
“It’s going to be fun for all of us to watch,” said manager Torey Lovullo. “We’re going to be fans too and enjoy what we see and give our recommendations as to when we think they’re going to be ready.
“They’ll be in and out part time, half a game here and there. It’s going to be a little bit of a Chinese fire drill for a while but we have to get those guys ready for [Tribe manager Eric Wedge] and the Indians.”
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The Bisons are going nowhere in the standings but are having a terrific homestand at the gate.
Sunday’s paid crowd of 12,515 put the average for the first four games of the stand at 12,738. The season total of 515,946 is just sixth in the International League — but Buffalo’s per game average of 8,599 is third to Louisville (9,248) and Pawtucket (8,970).
There are seven home dates remaining. The rehab assignments of Hafner and Martinez, Wednesday’s Offermann Stadium replica giveaway and the Aug. 28 Fan Appreciation Night give the Bisons a chance to crack the 600,000 mark. Buffalo has reached that number every year the park was open except for 2003 and 2007, when weather plagued the schedule.
This isn’t been an easy weather year either as Buffalo’s five rainouts are tied for the most in the IL.
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It will be a battle of lefties in to-night’s series opener against the IronPigs. Buffalo’s David Huff (4-4) meets Lehigh Valley’s Fabio Castro (0-0), who will be making his first Triple-A start after going 8-2 at Double- A Reading.
