Brantley News & Ankle Updates from February 2018 (Pre-Spring Games)

play ball! the Cleveland Indians will do just that tomorrow when their first Cactus League game officially gets underway. well, most of the Indians, that is. stop me if you've heard this before--Michael Brantley is not quite ready to play in spring games yet. once again, the Tribe is being cautious with the left fielder's rehab, this time from right ankle surgery, and going slow with his running program. he's currently a little over four months removed from the procedure he had done in the offseason on October 18, 2017, to stabilize the ligaments.

like last year, i decided to give you guys all the February updates that i've come across prior to game action. after months of not getting any satisfying information about Michael's status, this blog contains details on where Michael is in his recovery, what he's allowed to do activity-wise, and a tentative plan for progression in the next couple weeks. there are also plenty of quotes, pictures, and links to videos, as well as an interview that Michael did with himself!😀

if you've missed any news since Michael had his surgery, i've got you. here are all the previous blogs i've written with updates between October 19, 2017, and January 27, 2018:
Brantley Undergoes Right Ankle Surgery, Recovery Will Take 4-5 Months
Brantley News from October 2017
Brantley News from November 2017 & Why He Shouldn't

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 News & Ankle Updates from December 2017

Happy Almost New Year, Brantley fans! we're coming down the homestretch of the offseason, as spring training is right around the corner!😎 but first, here's the latest and last news about Michael from 2017. while there wasn't much information this month regarding his rehab and recovery from right ankle surgery, we at least now know what position he'll be playing with the Indians in 2018.

there's also a surprise at the end of this post detailing something i'll be starting in the new year, so be sure to read it!

for all the offseason 2017 news from October and November, plus my argument to keep Michael in left field (before we officially found out where he'd be playing), please read my previous blogs:
Brantley News from October 2017
Brantley News from November 2017 & Why He Shouldn't Move to 1st Base


December 5: in an article on indians.com, Jordan Bastian discussed some of the Tribe's needs for 2018. he once again stated that Cleveland might consider moving Michael

Brantley News from November 2017 & Why He Shouldn't Move to 1st Base

hello, Brantley fans! how's your offseason going? good i hope. earlier today, i posted a quick and unexpected, albeit very pleasant surprise involving Michael. now i've got a monthly news post for ya, except it's not so much "news" as it is complaints and speculation. this blog starts off on a positive note, then evolves into disappointment from fans over the Indians' decision to keep Michael for $12 million.🙄

in addition, it contains numerous article blurbs stating that Dr. Smooth could be in for a position change in 2018. that prompted me to take some time and make a compelling argument detailing why Michael should remain the Tribe's left fielder next season and not move to 1st base. so let's get into it!

for information about Michael from October (following the Tribe's elimination from the postseason), check out my Brantley News from October 2017 blog.


November 3: the Cleveland Indians announced that they

Wrapping Up Brantley's 2017 Season + Postseason

this is gonna be the last blog wrapping up Michael Brantley's 2017 season. it includes some of his final numbers, but focuses mostly on things like my favorite memories and highlights from his year, comparisons to past seasons, consequences of missing so many games, and how my preseason predictions did not pan out. and please be sure to read the end of this post because i took a minute to say thank you to every person whose articles may have contributed to portions of my content, as well as all of the people who visited my blog this year!🖐

if you want to see or re-read the previous trio of wrap up blogs i wrote about Brantley's 2017, which consist of his daily game lines, BOP breakdowns, and his situational numbers and league rankings, please refer to these posts:
Brantley's 2017 Game-by-Game Numbers & Notes
Brantley's 2017 Batting Order Position & LF/PH/DH #s
Brantley's 2017 Situational #s & Statistics

i know things have gone up a little out of order and later than i would have liked, but i got backed up when i went to the Indians' final homestand from September 29 - October 1 and then lost another day of writing when i went to Game 1 of the American League Division Series on October 5. then i also had to write a few unexpected blogs because the Indians

Brantley Undergoes Right Ankle Surgery, Recovery Will Take 4-5 Months

i am so sorry to have to report this to my Brantley fans, but today, the Indians announced in a Press Release that Michael Brantley had surgery on his right ankle yesterday, on Wednesday, October 18, in Charlotte, North Carolina. Dr. Robert Anderson performed an arthroscopic surgery to stabilize ligaments in the joint. Michael will require four to five months to recover, and then he can resume full baseball activity.😟😭

photo cropped off indians.com

four months takes us to February 18, 2018, which Jordan Bastian estimated

Brantley's Second Half 2017 #s

before i start rolling out all my upcoming Michael Brantley's 2017 final #s blogs, it's time to review his second half #s and stats. in this portion of the season, the Indians played 75 games. Michael, however, did not play nearly that much following the All Star Break, so let's see how he did in limited action on the field.


post-All Star Break in 2017, Michael had a total of 97 plate appearances and 88 at bats in 24 games (180.0 innings). in total, he had 25 hits, 7 extra base hits, 18 singles, 3 doubles, 4 home runs, 15 RBI, 2 sac flies, 16 runs, 6 walks, 1 intentional walk, 1 hit by pitch, 3 stolen bases (2nd), 2 GIDP, 10 strikeouts (7 swinging, 3 looking), 6 first at bat hits, 40 total bases, 45 left on base, 32 putouts, 3 assists, and 1 double play.

2nd Half 2017 batting average: .284 (25-88)

OBP: .330

SLG: .455

OPS: .784


2nd Half of July BA:

Brantley's September/October 2017 #s

hi there, Brantley fans! i want to thank everyone who took the time to read my Brantley's August 2017 #s (w/ DL Updates) blog and Brantley's 2017 #s Through August blog. i know they weren't the most interesting because he did not play much in August, so i really appreciate the views. speaking of, i got more new readers this past month from South Africa, specifically in Angola, and also Thailand! welcome and i hope you enjoy my posts on Mr. Michael Brantley!👋


notes: here's where i take a minute to remind everyone that when regular season games stretch into October, September and October are considered to be one month. it's exactly like when the season starts at the end of March, and March and April are combined as one month. this is done because there's not much point in having just one or two days of stats recognized by themselves in a regular season baseball month. therefore, when you see me write "the/this month" throughout this blog, i am referencing to both September and October as one month. i also used the "September/October" label in each section of this post, regardless of if the topic i'm discussing only occurred in one of the two months and not the other, to remain consistent.

i also want to address that, once again, i will be blogging about the postseason! i am going write about each

Brantley Activated from 10-Day DL, Ankle Updates (August 10 - September 30)

let's try this again, shall we? today, on September 30, the Cleveland Indians activated Michael Brantley from the 10-Day DL.😃👏👊 he spent 52 total days on the disabled list, missing 50 ballgames altogether. Michael is not in the starting lineup tonight versus the Chicago White Sox, but may come off the bench to pinch hit.👌


Michael sustained yet another right ankle sprain this season on August 8 during the game versus the Colorado Rockies. he was running over to center field to back up a play in the top of the 5th inning, when he suddenly started hopping and then just sat down on the grass until the trainer met him in the outfield. shortly after, Michael came out of the game, walking off the field under his own power, but he needed help going down the dugout steps that lead into the clubhouse. an MRI revealed that his sprain was considered mild and the Indians placed him on the 10-Day DL on August 9. seeing that it took so long for his return, this sprain was clearly more severe than the initial "mild" diagnosis, which was not completely accurate (as you'll learn when you scroll down into the September Updates section of this blog).

this was Michael's second stint on the DL this year because of that ankle, and the third occasion that he's had to miss playing time in 2017. he first sprained his right ankle on May 7, but

Brantley's 2017 #s Through August

okay, so maybe i was on to something when i wrote in the Brantley's 2017 #s Through July blog that this year might need to be a "Just Get Through It" type of season for Michael Brantley. (if you haven't seen it or would like to re-read my theory, it's at the bottom of the post.) except, he's hit a snag in that game plan due to his lingering right ankle sprain, of which the latest status can be found in the DL Updates section of my Brantley's August 2017 #s blog.

Michael will be lucky if he even plays 100 games this year. at no point this season did i ever think that would be the case--until now. in my preseason predictions blog, i assumed he'd accumulate at least 125 games, and that was including some extra off days to give his right shoulder a break. i could never have anticipated that he'd miss so much time because his ankle would give out on him. i know it's not his fault, but i can't hide my disappointment in the situation and i'm sure other fans feel the same. forget about Comeback Player of the Year. at the moment, we just need him to come back, period.😞

so when will Michael return? it's unclear because he has yet to resume running and, according to one of the last August updates from Terry Francona, his ankle still needs to heal. but hopefully Michael will be back sooner rather than later in September so that he can get himself going again and finish out the regular season strong and on a good note, or at least try to, before he and the Cleveland Indians embark on playoff baseball!🤞

since Michael barely played in August, his overall numbers have

Brantley's August 2017 #s (w/ DL Updates)

what's up, Brantley fans? thanks so much to those of you who read my Brantley's July 2017 #s blog and Brantley's 2017 #s Through July blog. and let me welcome my brand new readers from Ghana, Gabon, Burkina Faso, Belarus, Estonia, Jordan, Mali, and Peru. i'm happy to see you all here!👋

okay, now it's time to get into Michael's August. even though he didn't play much, there's a lot of news to cover and, unfortunately, the bulk of that is going to consist of DL updates. although, the updates are lacking in detail (and progression), if i'm being honest.🙁


August Overview

ankle sprain, ankle sprain, ankle sprain. Michael's had three in 2017 and the one he suffered this month has been the worst of all. case in point, he's been on the 10-Day DL since August 9 and it looks like he won't be rejoining the Indians on the field before mid-September. that mild sprain diagnosis certainly doesn't seem very accurate now. (more information on this can be found in the DL Updates section of the blog a little further down.)

Michael missed out on numerous significant events in August. he missed the chance to play in MLB's

Brantley Placed on 10-Day DL with Right Ankle Sprain (Take Two)

today, on August 9, the Cleveland Indians placed Michael Brantley on the 10-Day DL with a right ankle sprain. it was diagnosed as a mild sprain despite Michael's original fear of something more severe. the earliest eligibility date for his activation is August 19. this is the second time in less than two months that Michael has gone on the disabled list due to a sprained right ankle, and third time overall in 2017 that it's affected his ability to stay on the field.

photo courtesy of @SportsTimeOhio on twitter

Michael re-injured his ankle last night, on August 8, during the game versus the Colorado Rockies. in the top of the 5th inning, with the Indians trailing, 1-0, Mark Reynolds hit a fly ball to center field off Corey Kluber for the first out. Michael started to run over to center to back up Bradley Zimmer on the play and the next thing everyone knew, he was

Brantley's First Half 2017 #s

hey everyone! can you believe we're already at the All Star Break? it's definitely needed, if you ask me. except, it won't be much of a break for some ballplayers, including Michael Brantley, who was selected as an American League OF reserve for this year's Midsummer Classic! so as Michael heads down to Miami, Florida, for the 88th annual All Star Game, let me share his first half numbers of 2017 with you. and keep in mind, even though teams have played more than 81 games--the technical halfway point in baseball--all games preceding the All Star Break are considered to be part of the "first half" of the sport.


so far in 2017, Michael has 278 plate appearances and 250 at bats in 66 games (551.0 innings). in total, he has 76 hits, 23 extra base hits, 53 singles, 17 doubles, 1 triple, 5 home runs, 37 RBI, 2 sac flies, 31 runs, 25 walks, 2 intentional walks, 1 hit by pitch, 8 stolen bases (6 - 2nd, 2 - 3rd), 1 caught stealing (2nd), 6 GIDP, 40 strikeouts (33 swinging, 7 looking), 18 first at bat hits, 110 total bases, 94 left on base, 103 putouts, 5 assists, and 1 error.


1st Half 2017 batting average:

Brantley's June 2017 #s

hey there, Brantley fans! it's time for another blog recounting Michael's performance over the past month. but let me first thank everyone who read my Brantley's May 2017 #s blog and Brantley's 2017 #s Through May blog. i did notice some new views from Nepal and Kazakhstan in June, so i also have to give a special welcome to my audience in South and Central Asia!👋 if anyone else is a fairly new reader here, tell me where you're from by shouting out your city/state/country/continent in the comments!

now without further ado, here is everything you need to know about Michael's month of June.


June Overview

if you thought May wasn't Michael's greatest performance, then you might be indifferent to his June. he started the month out kind of slow, missed some time due to the birth of his child, and then was placed on the 10-Day DL with a right ankle sprain immediately following his paternity leave. upon his return, he had some early struggles, but then seemingly got back on a roll. when it was all said and done, Michael missed almost half the games on the Tribe's June schedule, playing just 13 of 27. so it's a small sample size that we're working with to critique and,

Brantley Activated from 10-Day DL (w/ Right Ankle Updates)

today, on June 26, the Cleveland Indians activated Michael Brantley from the 10-Day DL. Brandon Guyer, who's been on the 10-Day DL since May 14 with a left wrist sprain, was activated as well. in order to clear spaces on the roster for both outfielders, Daniel Robertson and Shawn Armstrong were optioned to the Triple A Columbus Clippers.

Michael has been away from the club since June 15, when his wife gave birth to their newest baby, a boy named Maxwell. he was placed on the Paternity List on June 16 and was supposed to return to the team on June 19.

well, Michael did return on June 19, in a sense. he met up with the Tribe in Baltimore, but was placed on the 10-Day DL with a right ankle sprain (backdated to June 16), which stemmed from an injury he sustained in Kansas City while playing the Royals. however, it's not completely clear if his ankle never stopped barking after the initial sprain on May 7, or if he re-injured the ankle during the early June Kansas City series. if you read my aforementioned DL blog, then you understand the confusion. not only that, but on June 23, there was some conflicting information as to

Brantley Moved from Paternity List to 10-Day DL with Right Ankle Sprain

today, on June 19, the Cleveland Indians announced that Michael Brantley was removed from the Paternity List and placed on the 10-Day DL with a right ankle sprain, retroactive to June 16. he is eligible to return on June 26, as long as he receives clearance from the medical staff. this is Michael's first DL stint of the year.

screenshot cropped from a video on indians.com

Michael originally suffered a sprained right ankle in the game on

Brantley's May 2017 #s

hi again, Brantley fans! let me begin by thanking everyone who read my Brantley's April 2017 #s blog. i know it was long, but i hope you at least found some of the stuff in there interesting! also, while i have no new viewers from the past month to acknowledge, i did notice an abundance of views from people in France. so i want to express my gratitude that you all took the time to check out my writing and read about Dr. Smooth! n'hésitez pas à partager mes publications si vous les aimez!😉

this blog contains Michael's numbers and additional pertinent information from the month of May. if you want season stats and details about his overall numbers so far in 2017, that separate post is linked at the bottom of this one.

and don't forget: if you haven't done so yet, please vote for Michael and your other favorite Cleveland Indians to go to the 2017 All Star Game this July 11. click here for all the voting rules and tips on how to ensure that your ballots are being submitted correctly.

now let's get into Michael's May!


May Overview

for Michael, the month of May was an anomaly. sure there were some definite highlights, but it was not