You may be wondering why the Indians placed Grady Sizemore and Joe Smith on the disabled list Monday. There wouldn't seem to be any need to do so because in September teams are permitted to expand their rosters from 25 all the way up to 40 players, if they so choose. So there is no need to place an injured player on the DL in order to call up a replacement from the minor leagues. Teams already have plenty of manpower in September.

So why did the Indians put Sizemore and Smith on the DL? It's a complicated issue, but the short answer is that it was done in case Sizemore and Smith are not ready to play by opening day next year, in which case insurance would cover their salaries while they were out with their injuries. That insurance only kicks in if the player is on the DL, so that's why those moves were made.