The Indians today recalled LHP ZACH JACKSON from AAA Columbus and optioned LHP RICH RUNDLES to Columbus.

Jackson will start tonight vs. the Rays.  Zach opened the season on the Major League roster and made his debut in relief at Texas on April 9 (4.0IP, 4H, 2R/ER, 0BB, 6K), which is still a season-high by Tribe reliever in IP and strikeouts.  He was later optioned to AAA Columbus on April 22. 

His first 3 appearances at Triple A came in relief (4.1IP, 6H, 5ER) before going 3-1 w/a 1.42 ERA (19.0IP, 16H, 3ER, 5BB, 12K, .235AVG) in 4 May starts for the Clippers, winning his last 3 starts (16.0IP, 9H, 1ER).   Overall at Columbus he has gone 3-2 w/a 3.09 ERA in 7 games/4 starts (23.1IP, 22H, 8ER, 8BB, 13K, 2HR).  He wears #57.

The Indians today traded INF WILSON VALDEZ to the New York Mets for a player to be named or cash. 

He has been selected to the Mets’ 40-man roster and is on his way to Citi Field as we speak…

The Cleveland Indians today announced the club has recalled OF TREVOR CROWE from the AAA Columbus Clippers.  To allow room on the Major League roster the Indians optioned OF MATT LaPORTA to Columbus.

Crowe was with the Indians from the outset of the season until May 2^nd, hitting .182 (6-33) with a double & 4RBI in 12 games (6GS LF, 2GS RF, 1GS CF) before being optioned to Columbus on May 2. With the Clippers he has hit .230 (17-74) with 2 2B, 1HR & 6RBI in 21 games (5SB, 9RS). Over his last 6 games he is 9 for 27 (.333) w/a 2B, HR & 2RBI.  With Columbus he has hit .333 (7-21) vs. LHP and .333 (10-30) with runners on base.  He wears #26.

LaPorta hit .190 (8-42) w/a 2B, HR & 4RBI in 13 games since his May 2^nd promotion from Triple A.

The Cleveland Indians today announced the club has placed RHP ANTHONY REYES (right elbow inflammation) & LHP AARON LAFFEY (right oblique strain) on the 15-day disabled list after each were injured during last night’s game in Cincinnati.

To assume Reyes and Laffey’s spot on the 25-man roster the Indians have recalled LHP JEREMY SOWERS & LHP RICH RUNDLES from AAA Columbus.

Sowers has gone 2-1 w/a 2.03 ERA in 5 starts for AAA Columbus this year (31.0IP, 29H, 7ER, 7BB, 25K, .236avg).  In his last outing of May 17 he posted a victory and allowed only 1 run and 6 hits in 7.0 innings at Scranton.   Triple A batters are hitting .164 (10-61) off him with runners on base and just .089 (4-45) with RISP over the 5 starts.  Jeremy was with the Indians from May 7-13 and was 0-2 w/a 12.00 ERA (9.0IP, 14H, 12ER) in starts on May 7 at Boston and May 12 vs. Chicago-AL before being sent back to Triple A on May 13.  He wears #45.

Rundles has spent the majority of the season at AAA Columbus where he has gone 1-1 with 1 save and a 3.21 ERA in 15 relief appearances (14.0IP, 14H, 5ER, 7BB, 15K) and has limited Triple A hitters to a .255 (14-55) average against.  Left-handed hitters have batted .200 (4-20) off him w/just a .554 OPS.  Rich was with the Indians on April 29-30, but has yet appear in a big league game in 2009.  He wears #56.

This is the 2^nd career DL stint for Reyes (1-1, 6.57ERA, 8GS), who walked 6 and hit a batter in 3.0 innings last night vs. the Reds.  This is the first Major League DL stint for Laffey (3-1, 3.93ERA, 10G/4GS), who left the game during the 8^th inning of last night’s 3-1 loss at Cincinnati.

The Indians now have six (6) players on the disabled list (Westbrook, S Lewis, Hafner, Smith, Laffey, Reyes), five (5) of them pitchers.

The Cleveland Indians today announced the club has purchased the contracts of LHP David Huff & RHP Greg Aquino from the AAA Columbus Clippers. To allow room on the Major League roster for Huff and Aquino the Indians optioned LHP Tony Sipp and outrighted RHP Masa Kobayashi to AAA Columbus. Kobayashi has accepted the assignment.

So far this year at AAA Columbus, Huff has gone 5-1 w/a 4.35 ERA in 7 starts (39.IP, 35H, 19ER, 5HR, 16BB, 32K, .241AVG). He is T1st in the International League in wins and has limited IL hitters to a .241 (35-145) average allowed. He will be making his Major League debut today in Tampa Bay wearing #58. This spring David was limited to 2 outings (4.0IP, 8H, 4R/ER) due to left shoulder tendinitis and was re-assigned to minor league camp on March 19. The 24-year old Huntington Beach, CA native was selected by Cleveland in the “Sandwich” round (39th overall) between the 1st/2nd rounds of the 2006 First-Year Player Draft out of UCLA.

Aquino, 31, has allowed just 1 run on 1 base hit so far this year at AAA Columbus, going 0-0 w/4 saves (4 chances) and a 1.13 ERA in 8 outings (8.0IP, 8H, 1R/ER, 4BB, 6K). He has not allowed a run over his last 3 outings (3.0IP, 1H, 0R, 1BB, 3K). This season to date Triple A batters are 1 for 24 (.042) off him, including an 0 for 12 mark by left-handed hitters. He was on the DL from April 16-May 6 with right shoulder tendinitis. Greg was signed by Cleveland to a minor league free agent contract with an invitation to big league camp on January 14, 2009. He appeared in the big leagues over each season since 2004 with Arizona, Milwaukee & Baltimore.

Sipp has appeared in 9 games since his April 22 recall from AAA Columbus (4.26ERA, 6.1IP, 4H, 3ER, 8BB, 9K) and Kobayashi has recorded no record with an 8.38 ERA in 10 outings (9.2IP, 12H, 9ER, 4BB, 4K).

To make room for Aquino the 40-man roster LHP Scott Lewis has been transferred from the 15-day DL to the 60-day DL.

The Cleveland Indians today announced the club has signed free agent RHP LUIS VIZCAINO to a free agent Major League contract and have added him to the 25-man Major League roster. To allow room for Vizcaino on the big league roster the Indians optioned LHP JEREMY SOWERS to AAA Columbus after yesterday’s game vs. Chicago.

Vizcaino, 34, began this season with the Chicago Cubs, recording 4 scoreless relief appearances (3.2IP, 2H, 0R, 0BB, 3K, .154AVG) before being designated for assignment on April 23 and later released. This spring he appeared in 12 games for the Cubs, limiting hitters to a .244 (10-41) average against with 13 strikeouts in 10.1IP (11.3K/9.0IP this spring). He will wear #47. He spent the 2008 season in the Colorado Rockies bullpen where he made 43 appearances and recorded an ERA of 5.28 and over a strikeout per inning pitched (46.0IP, 48H, 27ER, 49K) despite missing 2 months with a right shoulder injury.

Luis owns a career Major League record of 34-27 with a 4.31 ERA in 532 career relief appearances over 11 seasons since 1999 with 7 clubs (535.0IP, 487H, 256ER, 225BB, 483K, .242 AVG). In 2002 with Milwaukee he was 5-3 w/5 saves and a 2.99ERA in 76 games (81.1IP, 55H. 27ER, .192AVG) and in 2005 with the World Champion White Sox he was 6-5 w/a 3.73 ERA in 65 games (70.0IP, 74H, 29ER). He led the AL in relief wins (8) and was tied for 4 with 77 relief appearances in 2007 with the NY Yankees.