Cleveland Indians News: Michael Brantley to Disabled List

Cleveland Indians Place Michael Brantley on Disabled List

The Cleveland Indians have announced that outfielder Michael Brantley has been placed on the 15-day disabled list.

This is Brantley’s second stint on the disabled list this year, having began the season on the 15-day disabled list after undergoing offseason shoulder surgery last fall. Brantley has played in 11 games this year but missed the last three games after the shoulder remained unusually sore. The Indians hoped that the four days off (three games and one off day) would give the shoulder enough time to recover but unfortunately that did not happen.

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The Indians have not said how long Brantley will remain out, but it’s definitely disconcerting that that his surgically repaired right shoulder isn’t responding the way they’d hoped. There were of course some reports early on that Brantley could be out until June or later, so perhaps he did rush his recovery a bit much. He has hit just .231 with a .561 OPS this season.

Taking Brantley’s place on the roster is veteran utility man Michael Martinez. Martinez appeared in 16 games for the Indians in 2015, spending the rest of the season at Triple-A Columbus where he was to begin this year. With the Clipppers this year, Martinez was batting .288 with a .793 OPS in 27 games. Martinez’s real value comes in his versatility. He’s played six different positions at the big league level: second base, third base, shortstop, and all three outfield positions.

To make room for Martinez on the Tribe’s 40-man roster, they moved catcher Roberto Perez from the 15-day disabled list to the 60-day disabled list. Perez was originally placed on the disabled list earlier this month and  is out 8-12 weeks with a fractured finger that required surgery. Given his timetable of return, the move to the 60-day disabled list makes sense though means the Indians are confident Perez will be out until July.

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Brantley hitting the disabled list comes just one day after fellow outfielder Lonnie Chisenhall left the club as well. Chisenhall was placed on the Bereavement List yesterday due to a death in the family. Rookie outfielder Tyler Naquin was recalled to replace him. Chisenhall is required to remain on the Bereavement List for at least three days and can remain on it for up to seven.