Injured Indians OF Grady Sizemore to go for MRI on strained left elbow

Sizemore to get MRI on Monday

CLEVELAND — Indians outfielder Grady Sizemore is feeling better and will have an MRI on his strained left elbow on Monday.

Sizemore was injured during spring training and played through pain until he was placed on the disabled list on May 31. He is batting .223 with nine homers and 31 RBIs in 49 games this season.

“Seven days into his shutdown, Grady’s elbow has responded favorably and as expected,” trainer Lonnie Soloff said before Cleveland’s game against Kansas City on Wednesday night. “He has incrementally increased his range of motion.”

Soloff said Monday’s MRI exam and what Sizemore says about the amount of pain he’s experiencing will determine whether the three-time Gold Glove winner will have surgery.

Indians right-hander Anthony Reyes, out since May 23 with an inflamed right elbow, has decided to have season-ending surgery. Dr. Lewis Yocum will perform the operation on Friday in Los Angeles.

While Reyes is done for the year, right-hander Jake Westbrook is inching closer to returning to the Indians.

Westbrook is scheduled to pitch four or five innings at Double-A Akron on Thursday — the one-year anniversary of his Tommy John surgery. He worked three scoreless innings Saturday in his first rehab outing.

Left-handers Scott Lewis and Aaron Laffey also are on their way back from injuries. Lewis, out since April 11 with a strained left elbow, is scheduled to work three innings or 50 pitches at Class A Lake County on Thursday in his first rehab outing, while Laffey, sidelined since May 23 with a strained right oblique, could go on a rehab assignment soon.

“Aaron threw a 30-pitch bullpen session Tuesday and is scheduled for a 40-pitch session Thursday,” Soloff said. “If all goes well from here, he could be back with the big league team in early July.”

Shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera, who sprained his left shoulder in a collision at second base last Wednesday, hopes to take fielding practice this weekend.