Cleveland Indians: Michael Brantley Continues to Progress, Takes Live BP

Cleveland Indians outfielder Michael Brantley was seen taking live batting practice Monday, which is a great sign given the unknown status of his return.

If you’re a Cleveland Indians fan who gets excited at the sight of players taking batting practice, I have the video for you, courtesy of Jordan Bastian.

This video is simple in nature, but the sight of Michael Brantley swinging the bat so effortlessly is awesome. With so little information about his status, fans must go off videos like this when trying to figure out his health.

Taking live batting practice doesn’t mean he’s ready for a full return, but it shows that his shoulder is feeling well enough to begin participating in some regular team activities.

There is no need to rush Brantley back until he is healthy, so the team should take as much time as needed to ensure that he is ready for a full return. Brandon Guyer is more than capable of holding down left field until Brantley returns, and someone like Abraham Almonte or even Austin Jackson can receive some significant playing time until Brantley is ready.

Bradley Zimmer is also an option to come up and get some major league action, but he likely wouldn’t get a promotion unless he had a full-time spot waiting for him. A healthy Brantley wouldn’t leave much playing time for Zimmer, who is not yet in a position to be the clear starter at any outfield spot. That could change in a few months, but his goal should be to continue to develop. A promotion will come soon enough.

Next: Breaking down the 25-man roster

Brantley’s status has a domino effect on the rest of the team, but the video of him in the cage should mean he is not headed to the disabled list for an extended period of time to start the season. And if that remains true, he could even be on the field for the first game of the season in just over a month.