Tonight's Headliners: Barfield, Cooper & Hafner
Cleveland Indians DH Travis Hafner and INF Josh Barfield are in Torey Lovullo’s starting line-up for the Bisons game against the Lehigh Valley IronPigs TONIGHT at Dunn Tire Park (7:05 p.m.). Barfield is batting second and playing second base while “Pronk” will serve as the Herd’s DH and bat fourth in the lineup.
Both players are joining the team today as part of Major League rehab assignments. Barfield is scheduled to play six innings as he recovers from a finger injury. Hafner will get two plate appearances tonight as he continues to return from a sore shoulder.
Hafner will be available to the media once he is removed from tonight’s game. Interviews will be held inside the Bisons clubhouse.
Indians C Victor Martinez is scheduled to begin his rehab assignment with the team on Tuesday.
Also in tonight’s starting lineup is OF Jason Cooper. Cooper is batting ninth and playing left field in what will be his 400th game in a Buffalo Bisons uniform. The total ties him with Buffalo Baseball Hall of Fame catcher Tom Prince for the most games played by a single player in the modern era.
Prince played 400 games with the Herd, 1988-1992.
A part of the team’s 2004 International League Governors’ Cup championship team, Cooper ranks 2nd in the Modern Era with 218RBI, 4th with 200 runs scored and 6th with 49 home runs and 320 total hits.