After splitting their first two games while the offense has struggled, the Cleveland Indians are hoping they won't have to figure out a way to get the lineup going without their All-Star No. 3 hitter.
With Michael Brantley likely a game-time call, the Indians will try for their third straight series win at Minute Maid Park and their 13th victory in 16 games overall against the Houston Astros on Thursday.
After Cleveland was limited to three hits in a 2-0 road loss Monday, Carlos Santana and Mike Aviles - who was filling in for Brantley - provided the only scoring Wednesday with solo home runs in a 2-0 victory.
Fresh off signing his $22 million, four-year contract, Carlos Carrasco allowed three hits and fanned 10 over 6 1-3 innings.
The Indians likely can't afford to lose Brantley for long after he was scratched Wednesday because of lower-back stiffness. The left fielder hit .327 with 20 home runs, 97 RBIs and 23 steals en route to his first All-Star appearance in 2014.
The situation is a concern because Brantley was bothered by back issues on two separate occasions in spring training.
"He wanted to play so bad," manager Terry Francona told MLB's official website. "We just don't want to do something that prolongs it. We're hopeful he can play (Thursday), but if he doesn't, I'd rather it be a day or two than a week or two."
Asher Wojciechowski will try to give Houston its third straight solid outing as he make his major league debut. The right-hander earned a spot in the rotation by posting a 1.29 ERA in six appearances during the spring.
Wojciechowski, acquired from Toronto in 2012, went 4-4 with a 4.74 ERA at Triple-A Oklahoma City in 2014.
With a lot of family and friends expected to be at Minute Maid Park, the rookie will throw to a familiar target. Hank Conger is set to start behind the plate after he caught the 26-year-old throughout spring training.
"I'm going to have the same mindset I had in spring training, and that's to go out there and compete as hard as I can and play with a fire up underneath me and go out there and take it one pitch at a time and just compete," Wojciechowski said.
Cleveland's Trevor Bauer (5-8, 4.18 ERA) had one win over his final 13 starts last season while getting just 26 runs of support. He went 1-5 with a 4.87 ERA in 12 road starts in 2014.
Bauer hopes to build on a strong final start in spring training on Saturday. The right-hander allowed three runs with eight strikeouts and no walks over his eight innings in a 4-3 loss to Milwaukee.
"I think he's situated to have a nice, growing year from where he was last year," Francona said. "Where he goes - that'll be fun to see."
Bauer stymied the Astros in his only career meeting, giving up no runs while striking out nine over six innings in a 3-1 home win last August. Now he'll face a Houston team that has totaled seven hits over the first two games.
"You always want offense to click, but we ran into a couple of good pitchers so far," manager A.J. Hinch said. "Obviously, adjustments need to be made, and we're going to score runs."
