Chisenhall joins Indians in Arizona

Let the Lonnie Chisenhall Era begin. The Indians have called up Triple-A third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall to Cleveland and have designated infielder Adam Everett for assignment. With the move Chisenhall will become the unquestioned starter at third base and it also means Jack Hannahan will move more into a utility role.  Chisenhall is reportedly already in Arizona and will probably be in the starting lineup tonight and make his Major League debut.

Chisenhall is the Indians top prospect, and the hope is that he can help an offense that has struggled since the end of April.  He's still not a finished product defensively, but his smooth swing which he showed off in spring training can only help the team at this point. Expectations should be realistic as he won't be the savior for the offense and will likely struggle at the outset, but he should perform better than Hannahan has been at the plate.

Follow Tony and the Indians Prospect Insider on Twitter @TonyIPI. Also, his latest book the 2011 Cleveland Indians Top 100 Prospects & More is available for purchase for $20.95 to customers in the US (shipping and handling extra).