Casey Kotchman

Casey Kotchman went 1-for-4 with three RBI in the first game of Monday’s doubleheader against the White Sox.

It’s been a rough start for Kotchman, who is batting only .167 with two homers in 84 at-bats. Surprisingly, he has tied a career high with three steals. But that’s not much of a silver lining.

Casey Kotchman went 3-for-4 with a home run, two RBI, three runs scored and a stolen base in Sunday’s wipeout of the Royals.

Kotchman, who entered Sunday batting just .143/.200/.250, has now homered in back-to-back games, as well as stolen a base. Kotchman is extremely unlikely to repeat his .306/.378/.422 2011, but also shouldn’t be in store for a flashback to his .217/.280/.336 2010 with the Mariners. He should split the difference on his way to solid AL-only league value.

Casey Kotchman (back) has been medically cleared by the Indians’ training staff.

Kotchman hasn’t played in the last seven games due to lower back stiffness. “I’ve taken BP (batting practice) the last two days,” Kotchman said. “I’m not sure when I’m going to get back into games, but it’s progressing favorably.” Barring a setback, Kotchman is expected to play in Sunday’s game against Kansas City.

Casey Kotchman (back) hit some soft toss Thursday.

Kotchman has missed six consecutive Cactus League games due to back discomfort. The Indians are calling him “day-to-day” and are hopeful that he will be able to return to the lineup by the end of this week. The 29-year-old is expected to serve as the Indians’ starting first baseman this year.

Casey Kotchman (back) took dry swings and threw Wednesday.

Kotchman is out of the lineup for the fourth straight day due to back discomfort, but Indians’ manager Manny Acta is optimistic the injury won’t linger deep into the spring. The 29-year-old is projected to start at first base for the Indians this season, but he’s unlikely to have much value in standard mixed leagues.

Casey Kotchman is being held out of Tuesday’s lineup due to ongoing stiffness in his back.

Kotchman hasn’t played in three days because of the back discomfort. The Indians are likely being overly safe here in mid-March, and should clear him to return to their Cactus League lineup by the end of this week.

Casey Kotchman was scratched from Sunday’s lineup with a stiff back.

Just your run-of-the-mill spring training back stiffness. Kotchman should be fine in a day or two. Matt LaPorta has taken his spot at first base.

Indians manager Manny Acta indicated Monday that he views Casey Kotchman as the club’s everyday first baseman.

The implication here is that Carlos Santana will likely see more time at DH when he’s not behind the plate. Travis Hafner owns a lowly .240/.298/.382 batting line against left-handed pitching over the past three seasons, so that might not be such a bad thing.

Indians signed 1B Casey Kotchman to a one-year, $3 million contract.

The deal, which was reported Thursday and now become official, also includes some incentives. Kotchman, 28, posted a .306/.378/.422 slash line with 10 home runs and 48 RBI in 563 plate appearances last season for the Rays and offers a defensive upgrade for their groundball-heavy pitching staff. Matt LaPorta will be pushed to a backup role.