Astros Outfielder Starts Injury Rehab Assignment With Bang
Houston Astros outfielder Michael Brantley made the team’s wait for his first injury rehab game since May worth it.
Brantley hit a home run in his second injury rehab at-bat on Tuesday against the Round Rock Express, as he got his first cuts in a minor-league game since May 6.
Brantley had a runner on and two out in the third inning when the left-hander launched one over the fence and into right field to cut Round Rock’s lead to 4-2 at the time.
Brantley got three at-bats before he was removed from the game. He ended up 1-for-3 with two RBI and a run scored. He played left field.
In Miami, Astros manager Dusty Baker wouldn’t put a timetable on Brantley’s return to the club.
“It's hard to be out a year and a half and then say ‘I'm ready’ after three games or four games or whatever,” Baker said in comments relayed by MLB.com. “But Michael’ll have a pretty good idea when he's ready.”
Brantley’s recovery from a shoulder injury suffered last season has had fits and starts.
The Astros lost Brantley last August when he had right shoulder surgery for a torn labrum. At the time, Brantley was batting .288 and had a .370 on-base percentage, which was ranked second on the team. This came after four straight seasons in which he hit .300 or better. Despite losing Brantley, the Astros were able to win their second World Series in six years.
The Astros re-signed Brantley in the offseason, knowing that he would need a good portion of the 2023 season to be ready to play.
He started a rehab assignment at Triple-A Sugar Land in late April, but a setback caused the Astros to transfer him on the 60-day injured list in June. Before the setback, he batted .250 with five RBI.
In late June, Baker said that Brantley need to take a break from preparing to return, as he had “plateaued.”
That no longer seems to be the case.
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