Unique Doubleheader on Tap for Indians

“Let’s play two” will have a new meaning for the Cleveland Indians on Sept. 25: two games against two teams. Like it or not, the Indians will play both the Minnesota Twins and the Chicago White Sox on the same day.

After returning to Cleveland from a 12-game, 10-day trip that includes consecutive day-night doubleheaders in Boston, the Indians will make up Sunday’s rainout against the White Sox at Jacobs Field on the afternoon of Sept. 25. They’ll play their regularly scheduled game against the Twins that night.

“If we had our druthers, we’d rather see if it does mean anything or not. It was something that didn’t make a lot of sense,” Indian General Manager John Hart said. “We’re getting home at midnight from Kansas City, then prepare for the White Sox in the afternoon and the Twins at night.

“That’s a tough row to hoe.”

It will be the first time a major league team played two opponents on the same day since Sept. 13, 1951, when the St. Louis Cardinals were at home against the New York Giants and Boston Braves, according to the Elias Sports Bureau, baseball’s statisticians.

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Two weeks into his return from the disabled list, Cal Ripken of the Baltimore Orioles is so encouraged that he’s already talking about playing next year. Ripken, 40, spent more than two months on the disabled list because of inflammation in his lower back. He returned Sept. 1. . . . Pitcher Mark Mulder of the Oakland Athletics will probably sit out the rest of the season after suffering a herniated disk in his lower back while working out. Mulder, who is 9-10 with a 5.44 earned-run average in 27 starts, was injured Wednesday. . . . New York Yankee reliever Ramiro Mendoza, who has pitched in only one major league game since June, will have arthroscopic shoulder surgery Thursday. Mendoza, a key to the Yankees’ victory over the Boston Red Sox in last year’s American League championship series, went on the disabled list June 25. On July 29 he was activated and gave up four runs in one-third of an inning against Minnesota.