Johnny Damon Cut By Cleveland Indians

Johnny Damon has been cut by the Cleveland Indians, according to Yahoo Sports. Damon struggled through 64 games in Cleveland after signing a one-year, $1.25 million deal with the team on April 17.

Damon has been designated for assignment, meaning he has been immediately removed from the team’s roster, and has hit only .222 with four home runs since he joined the Indians.

Cleveland manager Manny Acta said,

“He made an impact on a lot of people here, despite not performing the way he was expecting and we were expecting. He’s still a guy who can move around pretty good. I think he was affected by missing spring training, and I think I have a sense that he probably is going to continue to play, and he is open to joining somebody else.”

Johnny Damon has spent the last couple of years of his career bouncing around from team to team. He played for the Red Sox from 2002-2005, the Yankees from 2006-2009, the Detroit Tigers in 2010, and the Tampa Bay Rays in 2011 before signing with Cleveland this year. He also played for the Kansas City Royals and the Oakland Athletics prior to coming to Boston.

Damon has 2,769 hits under his belt, but he may be out of time if he wants to hit 3,000. Cleveland has 10 days to trade or release him, and his future from this point on is uncertain.

Damon’s current teammate on the Indians and former teammate on the Red Sox 2004 World Championship team Derek Lowe has also been designated for assignment. The 39-year-old started the season 6-1 with a 2.05 ERA, but has been struggling since then. His overall numbers are 8-10 with a 5.52 ERA in 21 starts.

The 38-year-old saw the end coming weeks ago. On July 21, Johnny Damon told MLB.com, “If we’re not in contention, I’ll be the first one they drop.”