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Indians place Masterson on DL with knee injury

By WTOP Staff

CLEVELAND (AP) — The Cleveland Indians couldn’t wait any longer for Justin Masterson to fix his pitching problems.

The Indians placed Masterson on the 15-day disabled list with inflammation in his right knee Tuesday. Masterson, the team’s opening day starter, is 4-6 with a 5.51 ERA.

Manager Terry Francona talked with Masterson on Monday after the right-hander allowed five runs and six hits in two-plus innings against the New York Yankees.

“Masty’s first inclination was wanting to pitch through it, which we respect,” Francona said. “The way it was going, though, we thought we’d DL him and get him some treatment.”

Masterson made the All-Star team last season when he went 14-10 with three shutouts. The Indians considered him to be their staff ace going into the season, but Masterson hasn’t won since June 8 and has pitched more than four innings once in his last five starts.

Masterson has been dealing with a sore knee most of the season. He was pushed back a couple of days earlier this month, but his results haven’t improved.

“It’s hard to imagine it would help,” Francona said of the injury. “I’m not in his body. When a guy’s out there competing, I don’t think they think about it a lot, but I don’t think it helps.”

Masterson was pulled without retiring a batter in the third against New York. He walked three, hit a batter and rarely topped 90 mph in his 54 pitches, throwing only 24 strikes. He has given up 19 runs, 27 hits and 17 walks in 18 innings over his last five starts.

Masterson’s short outings have also also put a lot of stress on the bullpen. Francona used five relievers Monday and six a week ago when Masterson didn’t record an out in the fourth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

“Maybe two weeks would be best for him and us because he was exiting early,” Francona said. “It’s hard to keep doing that and keep the bullpen not only healthy, but productive.”

Masterson is a free agent after this season. The two sides talked about a contract extension in spring training, but didn’t reach an agreement.

Corey Kluber is the only starter who’s still in the rotation that opened the season. Zach McAllister and Danny Salazar are pitching at Triple-A Columbus while Carlos Carrasco was moved to the bullpen after four starts.

The rotation includes Trevor Bauer, Josh Tomlin and T.J. House, who all began the season in the minors. The Indians are in third place in the AL Central with a 43-45 record and trail first-place Detroit by 6 1-2 games.

“You’re going to need more than five starters,” Francona said. “It’s a difficult thing to build in depth. You walk a fine line there. I don’t think our record is what we want it to be. You can whine about it or you can choose to try to figure out a way to win.

McAllister or Salazar will be recalled to start Saturday against the Chicago White Sox.

The Indians also recalled left-hander Nick Hagadone and catcher Roberto Perez from Columbus and optioned outfielder Tyler Holt to Triple-A. Right-hander Mark Lowe was designated for assignment.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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