CLEVELAND, Ohio -- As the baseball floated over Francisco Lindor's outstretched arm, the shortstop's partner-in-crime slid into the picture to make the save.

Jason Kipnis hauled in the baseball while on his backside, having narrowly avoided a collision with his middle-infield mate. After Kipnis popped up off the ground, Lindor chased him down and wrapped his arms around the second baseman for a friendly embrace.

"I didn't think he was going to get there," Lindor said. "I turned and I was like, 'Oh.' He was right there. I was like, 'Buddy you got there quick.' He was like, 'Yeah, sometimes I surprise myself with my speed.'

"So I gave him a hug. 'You're fast today; I like it.'"

The two shared a laugh as they retreated to their infield positions.

That was a good day.

Lindor and Kipnis have many of those. Occasionally, they have a bad day. So goes the ever-evolving relationship between a two-time All-Star, veteran second baseman and a 22-year-old, budding star shortstop.

Like brothers, they'll argue, they'll joke around and they'll quibble. But they share a common goal: becoming the best middle-infield duo in baseball.

"We have good days and we have bad days," Kipnis said. "We bicker at each other one day, but then we'll be wrestling in the grass the next day. It's all in good fun and it never gets too far from being a good, healthy relationship."

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Lindor and Kipnis have played beside each other for nearly a calendar year now. Early on, they had to learn each other's defensive tendencies.

"You don't know how much range he has," Lindor said. "You don't know how he's going to attack the ball. You don't know how he wants to turn double plays. You don't know if he gets to the base really quick or flips the ball really quick as soon as he catches it or is a guy who takes a longer time.

"It takes time. You have to get to know him."

It didn't take long for the two to develop chemistry. Lindor's defensive prowess certainly didn't hurt matters.

Cleveland Indians Jason Kipnis and Francisco Lindor celebrate behind 2nd base after the Indians beat the Kansas City Royals 5-1 on September 16, 2015 at Progressive Field.

"The more you play together, the more you understand mannerisms, traits," said Indians manager Terry Francona. "Kipnis was already here. You get a new shortstop that comes in that plays the kind of defense that Frankie does -- it's not going to take long to be grateful that you have [him]."

Kipnis shared the middle of the diamond with Asdrubal Cabrera for much of his first four years in the majors. He cited Cabrera, Jason Giambi, Jack Hannahan and Travis Buck as influential veterans who offered guidance as he established his footing at the big-league level. Now, he's trying to pay it forward with Lindor.

"He's one of the older guys on the team," Lindor said of the 29-year-old. "He's been through it a lot longer than I have. You have to watch and listen and respect."

Each player has a corner locker, but they reside on opposite sides of the Indians' clubhouse. Big brother will yell across the room and order little brother to alter his wardrobe before he heads to the field for batting practice. Teams have something of a pregame dress code. Little brother will attempt to reason. The squabble lasts for a minute or two. Sometimes, Kipnis wins. Other times, Lindor wins.

"You just have to keep him in line and almost be the bumpers in bowling for him," Kipnis said. "You know he's going in the right direction. Just keep him going in the right direction."

It's the same on the infield, too.

"I talk to him a bunch," Kipnis said. "He's learning to have an inner clock that he didn't really have before. He doesn't [always] know how much time he has when guys are running down the line, and sometimes you see it, where guys have been safe on a ball hit straight to him. So, he's working on his inner clock, getting better with that.

"I'll always call him out for stuff. It's to help him. I just don't know if he realizes that yet. He'll be like, 'Oh, Kip is being a [jerk] to me' or something like that. No, I'm just trying to help him.

"Guys helped me before and there's going to come a time when he has guys who are younger than him who are looking up to him. You're not going to listen to some guy who never listened to anybody else. So it's more of just putting in your time and doing the right things that will earn you the respect for guys to come after you."

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It requires a certain type of credentials -- whether longevity, statistical production or some form of testimonial -- to command that respect. A month after Lindor made his major-league debut, Kipnis played in his second All-Star Game. Last season, Kipnis batted .303 with 43 doubles and an .823 OPS.

"His work ethic and the way he does things," Lindor said, "you watch and you learn from a guy like that. He's a guy you want to follow around. It's just fun to watch his success."

Kipnis doesn't mind watching Lindor thrive, either. He said the two have a "friendly competition -- we definitely push each other." The result, they hope, is to be listed alongside (or before) such middle-infield tandems as Jose Altuve/Carlos Correa, Dustin Pedroia/Xander Bogaerts, Joe Panik/Brandon Crawford and Ben Zobrist/Addison Russell.

"I think we're on our way to doing that," Kipnis said. "But it takes a lot of work."

And some more good days.

"When you say middle infielders," Kipnis said, "you're not just saying who can turn a double play. You're saying hitting, high average, range, double plays, charging, making plays and doing it as a duo, so we pick up slack in one department where the other guy is missing."

So when the baseball is out of reach for one player, the other is there to make a sliding catch -- and to receive a hug.

"We were having a good day that day," Kipnis said, laughing. "If we were having a bad day, I would've said, 'Get the [heck] off of me."