CLEVELAND, Ohio — The Dunc Tank has been shuttered in Cleveland.

The Indians designated for assignment left fielder/DH Shelley Duncan on Wednesday to make room for right-hander Jeanmar Gomez, who was recalled from Class AAA Columbus.

Duncan hit .162 in 24 second-half games, including .120 (6-for-50) in 16 games in August. He hit .203 in 81 games overall.

"It's tough to let go of a guy like him, such a good teammate, a guy who works so hard," Indians manager Manny Acta said. "But going forward, the at-bats weren't going to be there. We probably don't feel he's going to be in the plans for next year, so we might as well see some other guys. It's never a happy time, but it's part of the game."

Duncan, son of former Indians catcher Dave Duncan, has been unable to convert ultra-intensity and passion into major-league production. He is a .229 hitter in a combined 310 games with the Yankees and Indians. He has been with the Tribe since 2010.

Scouts suspected that the more Duncan played, the more he would struggle. It happened this year. Duncan still managed to rank tied for fifth on the Indians with 11 homers.

"He's been pretty good at times, but I can't sit here and tell that, just because he played too much, he struggled," Acta said. "That's what he wanted to do -- he wanted to play. We gave him an opportunity."

Acta said September call-ups will be in line to get Duncan's at-bats. Ezequiel Carrera, the left-handed portion of a platoon in left field, started against Athletics lefty Travis Blackley on Wednesday.

Gomez, 24, opened the season in the rotation for the Indians. He was with the Tribe through June 23, going 4-7 with 5.18 ERA in 14 games -- 13 starts -- before being demoted to Columbus. With the Clippers, he has gone 6-5 with a 4.41 ERA in 11 starts.

"The way we used the bullpen the last couple of nights, we're a little short back there," Acta said. Gomez will remain in the long role until further notice, he said. "If there's an opportunity later on to get a start or two, we might do it."

Indians Chatter

Maine, a teammate of Tribe closer Chris Perez's at the University of Miami (Fla.), was a sixth-round pick of Arizona in 2007. He is a candidate to be recalled in September.

"He's a lefty with a pretty good arm," Indians manager Manny Acta said. "He is 91 to 94 mph with the fastball and has a good slider. He's had some command issues and struggled somewhat up here, but he's an interesting guy, especially being left-handed. Some people feel that he could be a good matchup guy down the road."

"No issues whatsoever," Acta said. "He's ready to go for his next start [Saturday against Texas]."

Kipnis files: Second baseman Jason Kipnis is not in the excuse-making or rationalization business. When discussing his second-half swoon, Kipnis keeps it painfully real.

"I'm not hitting pitches I'm supposed to be hitting," he said.

In 83 games before the All-Star break, Kipnis batted .277 with 11 homers and 49 RBI. He had a .345 on-base percentage and .419 slugging percentage. He was an All-Star candidate.

In 38 games since the break entering Wednesday, Kipnis was batting .204 with one homer and 13 RBI. He had a .287 on-base percentage and a .277 slugging percentage.

Kipnis dismisses the idea that pitchers have adjusted to him, and he has not adjusted back.

"Pitchers aren't throwing things I haven't seen," he said. "It's not a matter of getting fooled. It's a matter of missing good pitches to hit."

Reporters and Kipnis' Twitter followers have wondered if Kipnis might be injured or fatigued, the latter given that he is deep into his first full season in the majors.

"I feel fine," he said. "Everybody's dealing with something at this time of year -- normal aches and pains. And the length of the season has nothing to do with it; I've got just as much energy as I had at the beginning. I'm not tired."

The only outward indication of wear and tear comes from Kipnis' facial expressions. He has taken the slump hard.

"I don't necessarily take it home with me, but when I'm here, I beat myself up over it," Kipnis said. "I had high expectations for this season. I set the bar high, and that makes it even worse."

After Tuesday's loss, Kipnis said the players need to be more accountable for the Indians' poor performance. Acta was asked about the comment Wednesday.

"I think he probably was speaking in general, because every one of them is taking this to heart and trying to do too much," Acta said. "I feel that it's not because of a lack of effort."

After a pause of several seconds, Acta glared at the reporter and said: "As a matter of fact, we are accountable. We all should be."

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: @dmanoloff@plaind.com, 216-999-4664

On Twitter: @dmansworldpd