Brantley News & Ankle Updates from January 2018

hi, Brantley fans! let me cut right to the chase. January was another slow news month as far as information about Michael's rehab from right ankle surgery goes. he is now over three months into his recovery, but we haven't gotten any insight as to where he is in the process and what type of baseball activities he's been doing thus far, if any. has he started to run on a treadmill yet? no clue. did he swing the bat at all during the offseason? couldn't tell ya. besides that, there's been no timetable put on Michael and it's currently unknown whether or not he'll be ready to open up the 2018 season with the Tribe.🤔

the consolation though is that we're definitely going to hear some detailed updates shortly because Michael is due to report to camp in just two and a half weeks (or possibly sooner)! so hang in there a little longer, #TeamBrantley. the countdown to February 18 is on!😃

meanwhile, if you've missed anything since Michael's surgery or need a refresher, here are my three previous news/update blogs:
Brantley News from October 2017
Brantley News from November 2017 & Why He Shouldn't Move to 1st Base
Brantley News & Ankle Updates from December 2017


now let's get to the January news and updates!

Brantley's January 2017 Hitting Progressions + Other News & Pics

hello there, Brantley fans! spring training is right around the corner and that's when we'll start to get a much better idea of where Michael is at physically and how he can handle the day-to-day activities that baseball requires of him. but for now, i have accumulated every bit of news that came out about Michael in the month of January, including his hitting progressions, rehab information, quotes, and pictures. so let's get into it!


January 3: Jordan Bastian tweeted that Michael began some non-contact swinging over the holiday break while back home and will continue his rehab in Cleveland this week.

January 4: in his first Indians Inbox of 2017 on indians.com, Bastian addressed Jonah Keri's statement on Michael--"this is a horrific, horrifically bad injury and there's some problems"--from December 23, 2016. Bastian sensibly pointed out that nothing else yet thus far supports Keri's claim and because this is the middle of the offseason, everything right now should be treated as speculation. he also remarked

Brantley News & Shoulder Rehab Progression Through January 2016

because Michael's been appearing at several public events in Cleveland over the last few days, i have a lot more up-to-date information on his recovery from right shoulder surgery. i've been keeping track of his progress all along, so if you've missed anything to this point, be sure to check out my Brantley News From the 2015 Winter Meetings (December 6-10) blog and the second half of my Brantley Confirmed For Tribe Fest 2016 blog, which contains health updates from December 17-21, for the final updates from 2015.

now let's get into the most current news, day by day, as it was unveiled.

January 25: Chris Antonetti, Indians President of Baseball Operations, did an interview with Christopher Russo on MLB Network's High Heat. Antonetti said that Michael was in the clubhouse earlier and that he's been in Cleveland rehabbing for most of the month of January. "he's on track and progressing really well. he's feeling good and pushing the trainers to push forward his timetable."

January 27: at night, Michael was spotted at

Brantley Confirmed For Tribe Fest 2016 + Health Updates!

Happy 2016, Brantley fans! i am back and have some exciting news for you all! today, on January 12, it was announced that Michael Brantley will be attending the 4th annual Tribe Fest, presented by KeyBank.

photo courtesy of @Indians on twitter

unlike in years past, however, there are some big changes to this year's event. due to the current renovations being made at Progressive Field, Tribe Fest will be held at Aloft Cleveland Downtown and the Ernst & Young Tower lobby in Flats East Bank. not only that, but because of limited space, it's just ONE day this year on January 30.

tickets for Tribe Fest are on sale now. you must purchase a general admission ticket--$5 for both adults and children--in order to attend. (NOTE: children under 3 are free.) like usual, fans can purchase general admission tickets alone, or bundle them with an autograph ticket. the two different autograph sessions to choose from are 9 am - 2 pm and 2 pm - 7 pm. while you cannot choose which specific player to get an autograph from, you can pick between a current Indians player ($25 ticket) or an alumni player ($20).

along with Michael, the following players have already confirmed to appear (although this is subject to change):