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What you need to know before Game 1 of the World Series

Mike Oz

CLEVELAND — The Indians know a thing or two about injuries. Which is why Jason Kipnis’ couldn’t come at a worse time.

Kipnis injured his ankle while the Indians were celebrating after winning the ALCS. Nobody — not Kipnis nor Indians skipper Terry Francona — thinks it will keep him off the field for the World Series. But a photo of Kipnis’ ankle shared by MLB Network’s Heidi Watney on Tuesday in the hours before Game 1 is at least enough to show you that Kipnis is playing through something ugly.

Jason Kipnis' ankle ain't looking so good. (AP)
Jason Kipnis' ankle ain't looking so good. (AP)

Yuck. That doesn’t look fun at all. But Francona told reporters on Monday: “He’s doing much better today. He hit [Sunday] night in the sim game. Again, he might not be 100 percent, but I don’t think it’s going to get in the way.”

It’s incredible the Indians are even here, considering the way injuries hit them at the end of the season, with Carlos Carrasco and Danny Salazar sustaining arm injuries. Then came Trevor Bauer’s now-famous pinky injury, which turned into a bloody mess during the ALCS.

Salazar is on Cleveland’s World Series roster and could help the Indians. And Bauer is scheduled to start Game 2, but Bauer’s ALCS injury woes go to show that you never quite know until you step on the field, which is why a lot of people will have their eyes on Kipnis’ ankle in Game 1 and beyond.

STARTING LINEUPS
The Cubs leave Jason Heyward, their unproductive $184 million offseason signing on the bench for Game 1, opting instead for Chris Coghlan.

Here’s the Indians’ lineup, with Brandon Guyer, who hits .336 against lefties, starting in left field for Cleveland.

SCHWARBER BACK
The impressive comeback of Kyle Schwarber is happening, as noted above. The Cubs slugger, who tore his MCL and ACL in April, is back on the World Series roster and Cubs manager Joe Maddon says he’ll DH in Game 1 in Cleveland. We wrote a little more about it over here.

GAME 1 DETAILS:
• Game 1 airs on Fox at 8 p.m. ET. The MLB on FOX pregame show begins at 7 p.m. ET on FS1, and jumps over to the Fox at 7 p.m. ET.

• Indians great Kenny Lofton will throw out the first pitch and singer-sogwriter Rachel Platten will sing the national anthem.

GOOD READS
Other stuff you should read before Game 1:
• World Series preview: Cubs and Indians try to end lengthy droughts
• ‘Major League’ vs. ‘Rookie of the Year’: this year’s Indians and Cubs pick sides
• Jon Lester held an epic party with Eddie Vedder to celebrate the Cubs going to the World Series
• This World Series isn’t just about the Cubs’ title drought
• A high school senior in 1993 made an amazing 2016 Cubs prediction
• How Fox Sports is changing what you think about Alex Rodriguez and Pete Rose

More MLB coverage from Yahoo Sports:

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Mike Oz is the editor of Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at mikeozstew@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!