Michael Brantley to miss 5-6 months after undergoing shoulder surgery
It’s only November, but the Cleveland Indians are already concerned about next April. Stud outfielder Michael Brantley underwent shoulder surgery Monday, and is expected to miss 5-6 months while recovering.
That timeline would make it difficult for Brantley to be ready by opening day next year. If Brantley is ready in exactly five months, that would put him at April 9. The Indians open their season against the Boston Red Sox on April 4.
That would be an aggressive timetable, according to head athletic trainer James Quinlan.
Despite that, the team is saying that opening day is the goal for Brantley’s return, but have acknowledged that a return on that date is unlikely.
Brantley initially suffered the injury while diving for a ball September 22. He was limited to just seven more plate appearances for the rest of the year. Brantley initially believed the injury would not require surgery, and attempted to rehab his shoulder over the past two weeks. He still had discomfort following that period, and decided to undergo the procedure.
Losing Brantley for any period of time is significant. Over the past two seasons, the 28-year-old outfielder has emerged as the best hitter on the club, and one of the best overall players in the game. He finished third in the MVP voting in 2014, and followed that up with a solid season. Brantley hit .310/.379/.480, with 15 home runs and 15 stolen bases, in 2015.
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The Indians won 81 games last season, and have a chance to come into 2016 as contenders. The club was five games over .500 in the second half of the season, and received a huge boost, both offensively and defensively, after promoting premier shortstop Francisco Lindor. With one of two smart offseason moves, the Indians could be viewed as a possible wild-card contender.
That’s going to be a lot more difficult to project if Brantley is out for the first month of the season. The club just declined an option on Ryan Raburn, who likely would have filled in for Brantley, so they currently have a huge gap in left field. Jerry Sands is currently listed as Brantley’s backup on the team’s depth chart page (which is far from accurate or official), and that’s not the type of player who should be starting on a team with playoff aspirations.
If there’s a positive here, it’s that the team will have the entire offseason to prepare for life without Brantley. They can sign a veteran outfielder who can put up some decent numbers while Brantley is out, and possibly give him days off shortly after he returns. It’s not ideal, but that’s the situation.
For now, the club’s only goal should be getting Brantley back healthy. Shoulder injuries can sap power, and linger longer than expected. They’ll need to ensure Brantley returns at 100 percent if they hope to contend.
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That just got a lot harder. Without their best offensive player, the Indians will need to figure out a way to get through the first month of the season without falling too far out of the race. That’s certainly possible, but it puts a huge damper on what should have been a promising offseason.
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Chris Cwik is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik
