World Series 2016: Five reasons the Indians win it

4. Salazar makes an impact

Danny Salazar has not pitched since September 9th, after a forearm injury forced him to the disabled list. His injury has healed, and the right-handed flamethrower has been added to the World Series roster for the Indians. Like the Cubs, who are getting DH Kyle Schwarber back, Salazar is a key piece for the series.

Salazar will likely be utilized in a middle-relief role, as his arm should not be expected to handle more than three innings at this point. It’s still unclear how he will respond to the rest, but something was clearly off for Salazar before he hit the disabled list, pitching to an ERA well over 7.00 in eight second-half starts.

The presence of Salazar in the bullpen gives Terry Francona another weapon to get creative with. Look for Salazar to make two appearances out of the ‘pen in the series, helping to ease the pressure on either Josh Tomlin or Trevor Bauer. With Salazar waiting, the Indians can get one of their mid-rotation arms out of the game before the Cubs get to face them two or three times.

At his best, Salazar is one of the best strikeout pitchers in the game, and his stuff should play up even more out of the bullpen as the restrictions of pacing for 100-plus pitches are removed. His ability to miss bats is even more important in a playoff series. Salazar is more likely to impact the series for his team than Schwarber.