TORONTO -- Ryan Merritt is preparing to take his turn in the postseason spotlight.The Indians plan to start the rookie left-hander in the AL Championship Series, although its not completely certain when. Manager Terry Francona said Merritt would pitch either Game 4 or 5 against Toronto, depending on how Trevor Bauers injured finger held up in Game 3 on Monday night.Its awesome that they trust me, the 24-year-old Merritt said. Im just going to go out there and have fun, enjoy it, and try to give my team the best chance to win.Francona said Monday if there was no problem with Bauer, Merritt was in line to start Game 4 and everyone else would stay on normal rest, leaving Bauer in a position to start a potential Game 7.Francona said if there was a malfunction with Bauers finger in Game 3, then Corey Kluber could come back on short rest for Game 4 on Tuesday and also be available for a potential Game 7. In that scenario, Merritt would pitch Game 5 -- if there is one. Cleveland leads the series 2-0.Merritts major league resume consists of 11 innings in the regular season this year. He made one start, holding Kansas City to a run and three hits in five innings Sept. 30.The Indians have had to juggle their rotation because of injuries to Carlos Carrasco and Danny Salazar, and Bauer had to be pushed back from Game 2 to Game 3 after cutting his finger on a drone. Those problems have left Francona in some tough spots, even as his team keeps winning.I think were just trying to be organized, Francona said. And it helps when every single player weve talked to just says, `OK.Salazar, who is not on the ALCS roster because of forearm issues, threw to hitters on the field at the end of Clevelands workout Sunday.Were not ready to activate him but he is doing much, much better, Francona said. Like we said before, the first goal was to get him completely healthy, and then when that happens well see where and if it leads to him helping us in a game.---Follow Noah Trister at www.Twitter.com/noahtrister Joc Pederson Jersey . Louis Rams wide receiver Stedman Bailey last Sunday. The fine is the fourth this season for Goldson. He was fined $30,000 for a hit on the New York Jets Jeff Cumberland in Week 1. Hyun-Jin Ryu Dodgers Jersey .Y. -- Bills receiver Stevie Johnson has a bone to pick with the NFL schedule maker. http://www.dodgerssale.com/dodgers-russell-martin-jersey/ . Vokoun departed practice on Saturday morning after discovering swelling in his thigh. He was taken to a local hospital where the clot was revealed. The club announced the surgery following a 5-3 exhibition loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets. Rich Hill Jersey . The defence is doing its part, too. Drew Brees threw a pair of touchdown passes in the first half and the guys on the other side made sure that was enough, sending the Saints to a 17-13 victory over the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday night. Max Muncy Dodgers Jersey . The 18-year-old American had five birdies in her bogey-free round for a 17-under total of 196. Lee held the overnight lead but mixed three birdies with two bogeys for a 70. In the event you hadnt heard, Rivalry Week is underway in college football. On Saturday, No. 2 Ohio State will host No. 3 Michigan (noon ET, ABC/ESPN App), and naturally, the only appropriate way to view the game is through an NFL prism.The schools provide an outsized segment of the NFL population, even though -- gasp! -- neither plays in the SEC. As such, we thought it would be fun to take a deeper look at the numbers behind their success as NFL talent providers, with a couple massive assists from ESPN Stats & Information senior statistics analyst Jacob Nitzberg and the bottomless database at Pro Football Reference.First, lets review the 2017 draft preview this game will provide. Michigan and Ohio State boast more than a dozen members of the top 150 draft prospects, as ranked by ESPN analyst Todd McShay. Keep in mind that the list includes underclassmen who might or might not declare.As you can see below, Wolverines coach Jim Harbaugh -- a former NFL player and coach -- has nearly triple the number of high-level 2017 prospects that Buckeyes coach Urban Meyer has. (Yes, Ohio State fans, we know many of your best players arent draft-eligible yet, and you lost a truckload of talent to the pros last year.)Michigan junior safety Jabrill Peppers is the highest-ranked prospect in this game (No. 4). Ohio States top prospect, according to McShay, is cornerback Marshon Lattimore (No. 8).Perhaps its a cyclical thing. After all, Ohio State has produced twice as many first-round draft picks as Michigan since the common draft era began in 1967.Full Ohio State and Michigan NFL breakdownOhio States producing more than twice as many current NFL players as Michigan is a product of two factors: the Wolverines talent slump prior to Harbaugh and Meyers immediate success in recruiting and developing NFL talent since he arrived in Coolumbus four years ago.ddddddddddddFive Buckeyes were drafted in the first round last spring, the highest number from one school in 10 years. Overall, NFL teams drafted 12 players from Ohio State in 2016 -- tied for the second-most in the first seven rounds of a draft in the common era.Below is a closer look at Meyers success in getting players into the NFL while at Ohio State, beginning with the 2013 draft.Ohio State draftees under Urban MeyerDespite those numbers, Michigan has produced the two best NFL players from either school, based on Pro Football References Approximate Value. The AV metric attaches a number to each players NFL performance for the purpose of uniform comparison over time. Here is a more detailed explanation, but in essence, it gives us a way to examine quality apart from quantity.The career AVs for quarterback Tom Brady and cornerback Charles Woodson both exceed the top ratings for Ohio State lineman Orlando Pace and receiver Paul Warfield. Hows that for an old-school name drop?Best NFL players from rivalry, according to AV metric?Pace and Warfield are both members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Brady and Woodson almost certainly will get in during their first year of eligibility.Overall, Ohio State has a slight edge in producing Hall of Fame players who spent their entire college careers at one school. When you count players or coaches who have partial ties to each school, Ohio State can boast?10 connections to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, while Michigan has eight.Only Notre Dame (13) and Southern California (12) have more than the Buckeyes. Any way you look at it, these schools are two of the most historic and reliable NFL talent pipelines in the country. ' ' '
