Matt LaPorta hit a walk-off, three-run homerun in the bottom of the 9th to beat the Royals, 5-to-2.

The blast came off Joakim Soria, who has now blown six out of 25 save opportunities. LaPorta finished the night 2-for-4, with a double and the homerun. With Detroit losing, Cleveland is now just a game and a half out of first place in the A.L. Central.

Indians activated 1B Matt LaPorta from the 15-day disabled list.

As expected. LaPorta has been sidelined since mid-June with a right ankle sprain. He returns to a .242/.309/.424 batting line to go along with eight homers and 31 RBI over 220 plate appearances. Carlos Santana saw most of the playing time at first base during his absence, but he'll now head back behind the plate.

The Indians are expected to activate Matt LaPorta (ankle) following Tuesday's game.

LaPorta took batting practice, fielded grounders and ran the bases prior to Monday's game. It sounds like the workout convinced the Indians' training staff that he does not need a minor league rehab assignment.

Indians manager Manny Acta said Matt LaPorta (ankle) had a good workout Monday.

It's not yet clear if he took batting practice. LaPorta is slated to workout again Tuesday before the Indians decide whether a minor league rehab assignment will be necessary.

Indians manager Manny Acta said the team won't know if Matt LaPorta (ankle) will need a rehab assignment until he starts taking batting practice.

LaPorta was originally slated to begin taking BP this weekend, but that's been scrapped because his ankle is still bothering him. He's expected to try again sometime next week during the Tribe's home stand.

Matt LaPorta (ankle) is no longer planning to join the Indians this weekend for batting practice.

LaPorta was scheduled to meet up with the Tribe on Friday in Cincinnati to participate in team workouts, but he's still feeling discomfort in his sprained right ankle. The first baseman will try again Monday, when the Indians return home. He is aiming to return around the All-Star break.

Matt LaPorta (ankle) will join the Indians in Cincinnati next weekend to take batting practice and could be activated from the disabled list at that time.

The Indians previously had mid-July pegged for LaPorta's return, so it appears his timetable could be moved up. Of course, they could decide he needs more hitting sessions and/or a rehab assignment, so his precise return date is still up in the air.

Matt LaPorta will have the protective boot removed from his sprained right ankle this weekend.

LaPorta was diagnosed last week with a high ankle sprain and is not expected to return to the major leagues until the middle of July. He was placed on the disabled list June 18 with a .242/.309/.424 batting line.

Indians manager Manny Acta said Saturday that Matt LaPorta was diagnosed with a "mild high ankle sprain."

Acta said LaPorta is expected to miss 2-3 weeks. Travis Buck, Carlos Santana and possibly Jack Hannahan are expected to share playing time at first base during his absence. Santana will get the start there Saturday night.

Indians placed 1B Matt LaPorta on the 15-day disabled list with a sprained right ankle.

We have yet to hear if an MRI revealed ligament damage, but obviously the ankle is bad enough that LaPorta will require a couple weeks of down time. We'll update his status once a timetable for a return is established. LaPorta will take a .242/.309/.424 batting line with eight homers to the DL. Carlos Santana figures to see a lot of time at first base over the next couple weeks, with Lou Marson getting time behind the dish.

Matt LaPorta will receive an MRI on his ankle Saturday to determine if there is ligament damage.

LaPorta had to exit Friday's game in the third inning after hurting himself in a run down. He looked to be in quite a bit of pain and had to be helped, so it seems like it could be fairly serious, but we'll know for sure after the results of the MRI come back.

Matt LaPorta went 2-for-3 with a walk and a solo homer in Saturday's win over the Rays.

His solo blast in the top of the second inning staked the Indians to an early 3-0 lead. It was his sixth home run of the season and his first extra-base hit since May 19. LaPorta entered Saturday's action with just two hits over his last 21 at-bats, so hopefully this will get him going.

Matt LaPorta went 2-for-3 with a single and solo home run in Thursday's loss to the White Sox.

He also drew a walk, reaching base in three of his four trips to the plate. LaPorta now has six hits over his last 11 at-bats to push up his average to .275. He's also gone deep five times while driving in 22 in what has been a solid start for the first baseman.

Matt LaPorta's OPS has fallen from .857 to .778 in the month of May thus far.

LaPorta is 27-for-109 (.248) over that span and hasn't homered since April 29. It's not the worst slump ever, but it's probably time to temper expectations on the Indians' 26-year-old first baseman.

Matt LaPorta's sacrifice fly drove in what proved to be the game-winning run in the Indians' 5-4 win over the Tigers on Sunday.

LaPorta also contributed two doubles and two additional RBI, bringing his season total for runs driven in to 15. He's now batting .262 through his first 80 at-bats, and may finally be starting to deliver some of the production Cleveland expected when it acquired him as part of the CC Sabathia deal.

Matt LaPorta hit a three-run homer and walked Monday versus the Angels.

LaPorta probably isn't going to hit for average, but he should prove to be a 20- or 25-homer guy if he can stay in Cleveland's lineup all season. And while he's been quite a disappointment so far in his Indians career, there's no one likely to challenge him for playing time anytime soon.

Matt LaPorta belted a pinch-hit grand slam in Thursday's 11-9 loss to the Rangers.

LaPorta came on for Carlos Santana in the seventh inning to deliver the blast before drawing a walk in his next plate appearance. The 2011 season will be a put-up-or-shut-up year for the former top prospect, as he's looking to finally cash in on his potential after a couple disappointing seasons that saw him spend ample time at Triple-A.

Unlike last off-season, Matt LaPorta has been able to train properly these past few months to prepare for the coming year.

Indians manager Manny Acta remarked, "This is going to be a good test for him." The rebuilding Indians can afford to be patient with LaPorta, who struggled in 2010 after battling a hip injury and turf toe during the off-season. He faced no such obstacles this off-season. "It's a lot different than last year," LaPorta said. "It's given me more confidence." It would be hard to imagine the third-year player regressing further in 2011. His off-season regimen is a step in the right direction.

Matt LaPorta hit a grand slam Saturday off Sean O'Sullivan to lead the Indians to a 6-4 win over the Royals.

LaPorta has just two hits in eight days, but at least both were homers. He's batting .220 with 11 homers in 341 at-bats for the season. He hasn't done enough yet to guarantee that he'll be penciled into the 2011 lineup.

Matt LaPorta hit a solo homer off Carl Pavano to lead the Indians past the Twins on Friday night, 1-0.

LaPorta was mired in an ugly 1-18 slump since taking a few days off to deal with hip soreness. The former mega-prospect continues to show little signs of "getting it," but he's still only 25 years old. He remains a high-upside player in keeper formats.