Indians to add Chris Johnson, Gavin Floyd, and Shawn Armstrong back to active roster

Finally. Let’s talk about some members of the Indians organization making moves that don’t involve waving goodbye at the Canadian border. On Tuesday, September 1, when MLB team rosters expand from 25 players to 40, the Indians are expected to add players from both the disabled list and minor leagues.

The first to come off the disabled list is infielder Chris Johnson, who went down in mid-August for what was believed to be a spider bite on his finger. At one point, the infected bite caused Johnson’s hand to swell so badly that he couldn’t grip a bat or wear a glove. Up until the injury, Johnson was hitting well for the Tribe, batting .429 (9-for-21) since arriving in Cleveland in the Nick Swisher/Michael Bourn trade with Atlanta. He spent some rehab time in Double-A Akron over the weekend, playing in back-to-back loses, including going 0-for-3 on Friday against Richmond.

Another Indian expected to end his stint on the disabled list is pitcher Gavin Floyd, who fractured a bone in his right elbow during spring training. Floyd, 32, had surgery on a fractured olecranon in June of last year, and re-injured it in February, requiring another surgical procedure. After signing a one-year, $4 million deal with Cleveland in December, Floyd has yet to throw a regular-season pitch with the Tribe. He struggled through a rehab start on Saturday in Akron, working the first 2 2/3 innings and giving up five hits and five runs with one walk and three strikeouts in a 5-3 loss.

On Saturday, Tribe skipper Terry Francona said that Floyd will return as an extra arm in the Indians’ bullpen. “This gives him a chance to pitch in major-league games, which I think we all felt he deserved because of the effort he put in,” Francona said. “I don’t think anybody thought it was a necessity that he starts games and gets deep right now. I think for what he’s been through, for him to pitch in major-league games will be a really, really good thing for him.”

The Indians are also expected to call up right-handed reliever Shawn Armstrong from Triple-A Columbus on Tuesday. Armstrong made a pair of relief outings with the Tribe earlier this month, after being called up along with outfielder Abraham Almonte. He did not allow a run in 2 2/3 innings of work, and was sent back down in mid-August to make room for starting pitcher Josh Tomlin.

The Indians, likely with Johnson, Floyd and Armstrong back on the roster, take on the Toronto Blue Jays Tuesday evening, hoping to make it seven wins in a row.