The Cleveland Indians have sent Francisco Lindor to Triple-A Columbus to begin the season.

Lindor, 21, is Cleveland's top prospect and one of the best in all of baseball. He is a switch-hitting shortstop.

"We talked all along about how long to leave him here," Terry Francona said. "I think it's also in his best interest to go over to the other side, be with those guys, be a good teammate, be a leader there, and enjoy and embrace being as good a player as he can be. We're looking forward to watching his progression."