An injury is never good news for a major league baseball team. Or is it? While the Cleveland Indians certainly won't admit as much, the Tribe can't be overly despondent about closer Joe Borowski being sidelined with a strained right triceps muscle this week. | NFL page

Borowski's injury sent him to the disabled list and spared the Indians what was motoring toward a delicate situation.

How could a team with World Series aspirations make a change at closer when that closer saved 45 games the previous season?

But what Borowski did in 2007 defied logic and was quite unlikely to repeat itself. With those 45 saves came a hefty 5.07 ERA and 94 hits plus walks in 65 2/3 innings.

Give Borowski his due for getting by with guile, moxie, guts, what have you. But at 36 and featuring considerably less than sparkling stuff, the end of his closer days can't be far off.

Borowski's absence gives Cleveland a chance to try Rafael Betancourt in the closer's role and give Rafael Perez and Jensen Lewis additional bullpen responsibility.

Betancourt sported a 1.47 ERA and gave up just 51 hits while fanning 80 in 79 1/3 innings in 2007.

It's difficult to imagine Borowski closing out Cleveland's long coveted World Series championship.

But with Betancourt taking over, the dream is a step closer to coming true.

Fantasy focus

w Angels' first baseman Casey Kotchman may finally be starting to realize the potential we have been hearing about for years.

Kotchman has long been projected as a high average hitter with good power. Although he'll probably never hit 40 homers, Kotchman is one to watch if he can continue to shake off three injury riddled seasons.

w Nomar Garciaparra returned to the active list this week. But it's awfully hard to get excited about his value. Mia Hamm's husband just doesn't have much fantasy kick left.

w If Chad Cordero owners don't already have Jon Rauch as well, get it done soon. Cordero is back from the disabled list but reports on his arm strength aren't good at all.

w A name few expected to see among the National League's strikeout leaders: St. Louis' Todd Wellemeyer.

w Arizona's starting rotation is good now and it might get even better soon. At Triple-A, the Diamondbacks have Max Scherzer tearing up the Pacific Coast League.

Scherzer has not allowed an earned run through 17 innings. He has 29 strikeouts while walking just three and giving up seven hits

Randy Reinhardt is a sportswriter for The Pantagraph. Contact him at rreinhardt@pantagraph.com