CLEVELAND — Travis Hafner said he does not expect to be placed on the disabled list with a problematic right shoulder that has caused him to miss the last three games.
“I’m pretty sure it’s going to feel better Friday,” said the slumping designated hitter, who is batting just .217 with four home runs and 22 RBIs in 46 games.
The Indians begin an 11-game road trip Friday, and it’s also the day manager Eric Wedge said the team would make a decision on Hafner’s status. He said that if the DH had not improved, the club would consider placing him on the injured list.
Hafner, who has dealt with elbow issues for much of his career, said the shoulder ailment began in spring training and has continued periodically during the regular season. But he did not use the injury as an excuse for his slow start at the plate.
“Most of the time, it’s not a big deal,” Hafner said. “But when it flares up, it just loses strength in the shoulder. It makes it kind of hard to swing. I think it’s something that just happened over the course of years.”
Hafner was helped by a cortisone shot the first time the injury surfaced in mid-April, and said he received another cortisone injection Tuesday, which he is hoping allows him to return to the lineup for the series opener in Kansas City. He said he also underwent an MRI on the shoulder that showed no structural damage.

Ins and outs

As expected, the Indians activated Jake Westbrook from the disabled list Wednesday to start the series finale against Chicago, clearing a roster spot by designating reliever Jorge Julio for assignment.
A six-year veteran who saved 83 games from 2002-04, Julio impressed the Indians with a big arm to win the final spot in the bullpen this spring, but was largely ineffective in 15 regular-season appearances — 11 runs on 18 hits and 11 walks in 17 2/3 innings.
“He had some success early on for us,” Wedge said. “But looking at things as we move forward as we’re trying to put our bullpen back together, it just felt like that was the move to make.”
The Indians have 10 days to trade or give Julio his unconditional release, with the club on the hook for his $1 million salary this season.   

Next up

The Indians will enjoy an off-day today before beginning a three-game series Friday (8:10 p.m.) in Kansas City.
Cliff Lee (7-1, 1.50 ERA) opens the set, opposing RHP Gil Meche (3-7, 5.35), while C.C. Sabathia (3-6, 4.74) starts Saturday (7:10) vs. RHP Brett Tomko (2-6, 6.11). Paul Byrd (2-4, 4.10) will go for Cleveland in the series finale Sunday (2:10), while KC counters with RHP Brian Bannister (4-6, 4.94).
The Indians are 3-2 against the Royals this year — 3-0 at Kauffman Stadium.    

Roundin’ third

The first-place White Sox joined the Yankees and Tigers as the only teams to defeat the Indians 1,000 or more times, notching their 1,000th win over Cleveland on Wednesday. Chicago leads the all-time series 1,000-965.
• The Indians’ unconventional triple steal Tuesday was the first awarded in a game since Oct. 1, 1987, when the Braves accomplished the feat at Houston.
• A day after announcing that prized pitching prospect Adam Miller had been placed on the disabled list with a callous on his right middle finger, the Indians revealed that the right-hander underwent surgery on the finger that same day in Baltimore.
• Vermilion will be the site of one of three Casey Blake Baseball Camps (June 23-27). The five-day instructional camp, which costs $263 to attend, will be led by area high school and college coaches with Blake scheduled to appear at least twice. More information can be obtained online at Indians.com/blakecamps or by calling (440) 287-7644.
Contact Chris Assenheimer at 329-7136 or cassenheimer@chroniclet.com. 

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