Indians close to signing Damon

Free agent Johnny Damon is close to resuming his quest for 3,000 hits.

The outfielder, who failed to find a landing spot over the winter, is nearing a deal with the Cleveland Indians, according to multiple reports.

Damon, 38, is 277 hits shy of 3,000. He would likely play left field and help spark the team's struggling offense.

The lefty swinger spent 2011 with the Tampa Bay Rays, batting .261 with 16 homers and 73 RBIs in 150 games. Damon didn't appear in a spring-training game this season, and would likely need to spend some time in the minor leagues.

Cleveland started the season 1-4 start and entered Thursday with a .178 team batting average.