CLEVELAND — When Indians catcher Yan Gomes took a pitch off his right hand during a minor league rehab start barely two weeks ago and ended up with a non-displaced fracture, his chances of returning this season seemed slim.

He had been working his way back from a separated right shoulder since July. The setback seemed like it would end his season.

Being on the Indians playoff roster was a surprise not only to Gomes but to Indians manager Terry Francona, who said at the time of the injury there was a 1 percent chance of Gomes returning this season.

“I was never good with percentages and stuff like that, you know that,’’ Francona said. “Yeah, I’m surprised. I think we were being really honest about his chances and things like that. I didn’t think it was fair to ever put it out there that there was a possibility because by all rights he shouldn’t have had a realistic possibility.’’

Gomes played just 74 games during the regular season, hitting .167 with nine homers and 34 RBIs. He was in the starting lineup for the Indians’ season finale against the Royals and stroked a two-run homer in his first at-bat.

“That’s amazing,’’ said outfielder Rajai Davis said. “It’s been a long fight. We watched him put his work in diligently and consistently and to hear what happened when he went down to the minor leagues it was like, ‘Man, another setback.’ But to make the roster and for him to make the roster in the first at-bat back, that’s just a relief for him and for us. This is an offensive player that will impact a game, especially in the playoffs.’’

Remembering first

Indians pitching coach Mickey Callawayis uniquely positioned to appreciate what David Ortiz has done in his Red Sox career. It was Callaway, after all, who gave up the first homer of Ortiz’s Red Sox career.

On April 27, 2003, in his 15th game with the Red Sox and the Sox’ 25th game of the year, Ortiz stepped to the plate as a pinch hitter for Jeremy Giambi in the top of the 14th of a 4-4 game between the Sox and the Angels. After Callaway fell behind, 2-0, Ortiz swung at a pitch off the plate and drove it over the fence in left field.

“He was a good hitter. I actually made a decent pitch on that — it was down and away, just off the plate, and he took it [opposite field],’’ Callaway recalled. “He had just come over there from Minnesota. I think it was about a month into the season or something. I was like, ‘He hasn’t hit a homer yet.’ He waited until a game against me in extra innings to do it. It was [the first with the Sox], and there have been a lot of homers in between.’’

Doby fund

The Indians announced the creation of the Larry Doby Youth Fund, honoring the first black player in the American League by donating $1 million to assist underserved youth in Cleveland. The fund will be handled by the Cleveland Foundation and non-profits will be able to start the grant application process in January 2017. “We have enjoyed a special season here in Cleveland because of the incredible group of individuals in our clubhouse,’’ Francona said in a statement. “They are committed to the city in which they live and work and have generously donated to the Larry Doby Youth Fund.’’ . . . When the Cleveland Cavaliers ended the city’s 52-year championship drought by beating the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals in June, the Indians rode that momentum by putting together a 14-game winning streak. “The timing was kind of unique where we went on that 14-game run right after that,’’ Francona said. If there’s still pressure to bring another championship to a city that had gone without one for so long, Francona said he didn’t want his players to focus on it. “I was telling the group a couple weeks ago, it’s not my fault my dad didn’t win,’’ Francona said. “This is hard enough to win when you’re playing good teams, but to go back 50, 60, 70 years, it’s not fair to anybody. Being a fan, I understand that it’s been a while. For the city, I was thrilled when the Cavs won. It was hard not to get caught up in all that. But other than that, I don’t think it’s fair to the players to go back 60, 70 years. We try to not even go back much past yesterday.’’

Alex Speier can be reached at alex.speier@globe.com. Follow him on twitter at @alexspeier. Julian Benbow can be reached at jbenbow@globe.com.