"Travis Hafner hopes to be activated from the disabled list sometime in the next 10 days. If he meets that timetable, the Indians will have two veteran, left-handed designated hitters who can't play every day, Hafner and Jim Thome. Nothing wrong with that in manager Manny Acta's eyes.

"I think that helps both of them," he said Thursday. "Jim is not going to play every day either. But one or the other will probably play every day."

Unless a tough left-handed starter is pitching for the opposing team.

"Shelley Duncan will be my right-handed DH," Acta said.

Hafner has been on the DL with a strained tendon in is right foot. He has recovered to the point where he is running on flat ground.

"We'll check him tomorrow when he comes in and see how he feels," head trainer Lonnie Soloff said. "He'll be a little more aggressive with his running by making left turns. After that, he can start running the bases."

Hafner has been dealing with the injury since he slid into home plate in late April.

"I felt it off and on after that," he said. "But hopefully, I can come back sometime during this trip."

There's a possibility that Hafner will need surgery to move the tendon."