Indians' Jose Ramirez: Expected to protect Encarnacion in lineup

Manager Terry Francona hinted Ramirez will hit fifth, behind Edwin Encarnacion, in the batting order, Terry Pluto of The Plain Dealer reports.

Francona says it's too early for him to establish a definitive lineup, but the Tribe manager is thinking about it. The skipper has penciled in Encarnacion as the No. 4 hitter, replacing the departed Mike Napoli, and said their new slugger needs to be protected. He elaborated, "Jose [Ramirez] did a great job behind Nap last season," indicating Ramirez will once again hit fifth. The Tribe's switch-hitting third baseman batted .312 versus right-handers and .311 against southpaws, producing a .355 batting average with runners in scoring position. The 24-year-old Ramirez dropped 11 home runs with 76 RBI and finished second in the league with 46 doubles.