Away Back Gone
FanSided

Cleveland Indians: Michael Brantley to be with the team on Opening Day

By Steven Kubitza

Mar 26, 2017; Salt River Pima-Maricopa, AZ, USA; Cleveland Indians left fielder Michael Brantley (23) celebrates with Austin Jackson (26) after hitting a two run homerun against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the first inning during a spring training game at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 26, 2017; Salt River Pima-Maricopa, AZ, USA; Cleveland Indians left fielder Michael Brantley (23) celebrates with Austin Jackson (26) after hitting a two run homerun against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the first inning during a spring training game at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

Michael Brantley has not been officially been named to the Cleveland Indians’ Opening Day roster, but he will be with the team in Texas on Monday.

Cleveland Indians fans have been wondering about Michael Brantley‘s Opening Day status for months, and we were all nearly given confirmation that he will be playing on Monday.

That tweet from Jordan Bastian seems to be legitimate proof that Brantley will indeed play in the season opener, because there is no reason to sit him if he is healthy enough to play. Although another tweet prevented a full confirmation of Brantley being in the Opening Day lineup.

So as of right now, we know that Brantley will be in Texas on Monday. And given he doesn’t injure himself in the next two days, he should be in the lineup, as having his talent sit on the bench doesn’t help the team at all.

The only way he shouldn’t play is if there is any lingering pain, but he wouldn’t have been playing throughout this final week of spring training if he was injured. Well, fans sure hope that is true.

We will all know Brantley’s status soon enough, and the signs seem to be pointing toward his return. This is a major relief for fans, who may have already considered moving on from Brantley after his injury problems a season ago. Luckily, the front office allowed him to recover and make his return.

He can begin the year in a platoon role with Brandon Guyer in left field, allowing for Brantley to receive significant playing time without having to play everyday. This is not just beneficial for him from the perspective of his recovery, but it allows him to stay fresh throughout the year. It is nice to have the star players play everyday, but some days off will only help if the team makes another deep postseason run.

Next: 5 players who may regress in 2017

As Terry Francona said, plans can indeed change over the weekend. However, it would be a surprise if Brantley is not in the Opening Day lineup when the Indians finally open the 2017 season Monday against the Texas Rangers.

Home/Cleveland Guardians News