9 Erik Gonzalez 2B

Gonzalez will likely be on the major-league roster to start the 2018 season, Ryan Lewis of the Akron Beacon Journal reports.

Gonzalez was battling for a reserve infielder role with Giovanny Urshela (hamstring) all spring, but with the latter expected to open the season on the disabled list, Gonzalez is the lone competitor for the spot. The 26-year-old batted .297 in 17 games this spring.

Gonzalez is not expected to miss any additional time after suffering an ankle contusion during Wednesday's split-squad contest, Chris Assenheimer of The Chronicle-Telegram reports.

Gonzalez limped off the field after suffering the injury sliding into second base during the spring game. He was cleared to play in Thursday's Cactus League outing, but the Indians will be cautious with their utility man and give him a day off to rest and recover.

Gonzalez limped off the field during Wednesday's split-squad game after appearing to injury his ankle while sliding into second base, Paul Hoynes of Cleveland.com reports.

Gonzalez should be considered day-to-day with an ankle injury, and an update on his status is expected following Wednesday's contest. The 26-year-old is competing for a spot on the Opening Day roster in a utility role, which would obviously take a hit if he's unable to see the field for an extended period of time.

Gonzalez will compete for one of the final spots on the 25-man during spring training, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

For now, it seems like his main competition for the utility infielder role is Giovanny Urshela. Both 26-year-old players are out of options, so that situation provides little clarity heading into the spring. Gonzalez does have a bit of an edge when it comes to speed, as he logged double-digit steal seasons in four of the past five years compared to Urshela's goose egg in that category the last three years. The speedy middle infielder also hit better than Urshela in the majors, as his batting average over the past two seasons is roughly 40 points higher. Past stats aside, Gonzalez will still need to perform well in Cactus League action to land a spot on the Opening Day roster.

Gonzalez went 2-for-4 with two home runs and four RBI in Thursday's 11-2 win over the White Sox.

Gonzalez took fill-in starter Mike Pelfrey deep for a two-run shot in the third inning after Edwin Encarnacion got him in the first and Francisco Lindor hit one out in the second. He later added a sacrifice fly in the seventh and a solo homer in the ninth. Despite this performance, the 26-year-old middle infielder doesn't have the offensive capabilities of his fellow infielders, which is why he usually bats ninth when he's inserted into the lineup. Gonzalez's .281/.293/.469 line in 100 plate appearances is respectable, though.