Long-time big-league outfielder Michael Brantley has announced his retirement from baseball. The veteran spent 15 seasons in the majors, 10 with the then-Cleveland Indians followed by another five with the Houston Astros. Injuries plagued the 36-year-old throughout his career as he appeared in 120 games or more in just seven of his 15 campaigns. He was limited to just 15 games in the 2023 season and only 64 in the 2022 campaign. However, his bat was excellent when healthy as he hit .300 or better in seven seasons and retires with a career .298 average across 1,445 games played. He also slugged 129 home runs and stole 125 bases in that time.
Houston Astros outfielder Michael Brantley will hit out of the two-hole on Sunday for Game 6 of the ALCS. Mauricio Dubon had been slotted there the last two games but hasn't done much with the bat. Brantley was the two-hitter for the Astros in Game 3 but went 0-for-5 himself. Houston has been searching for a combination they like at the top paired with Jose Altuve in this series. Alex Bregman started the first two games as the two hitter, Dubon has gotten two games in that spot and this will now be Brantley's second game hitting second in the ALCS. Brantley is in left field while Dubon patrols center, sending Chas McCormick to the bench.
Michael Brantley, Chas McCormick Back In The Lineup For Game 4
Houston Astros outfielder Michael Brantley is back in left field and is hitting sixth in the batting order on Wednesday for Game 4 of the American League Division Series against the Minnesota Twins and right-hander Joe Ryan. Chas McCormick has returned to center field and is in the seven-hole. Brantley has gone 2-for-7 with a walk and two strikeouts in two games of the Division Series against Minnesota, with McCormick going 2-for-8 with an RBI and two strikeouts so far in two games. Brantley has only faced Ryan two times in his career, walking once. McCormick has faced the Twins starter seven times, picking up two hits (one home run) and two RBI while striking out three times.
Houston Astros manager Dusty Baker said on Thursday that he's not sure how much outfielder/designated hitter Michael Brantley will be able to offer during the upcoming ALDS versus the Minnesota Twins. The 36-year-old contact hitter didn't make much of an impact overall during the regular season, slashing .278/.298/.426 with two home runs and seven RBI in a mere 54 at-bats. Brantley's right shoulder surgery from last summer cost him over a year of action, truncating his 2022 season to 64 games, and his 2023 debut didn't arrive until Aug. 29. The Astros will take whatever they can get out of the five-time All-Star on their quest for a championship.
Houston Astros outfielder Michael Brantley is out of the starting lineup for Saturday's game against the Arizona Diamondbacks. The veteran outfielder made his season debut in August after missing over a year due to shoulder surgery. He also missed eight games earlier this month due to soreness in the same shoulder. Brantley has been a solid hitter when healthy, but keeping him in the lineup has been a struggle. Chas McCormick will cover left field and bat sixth versus right-hander Merrill Kelly on Saturday.
Houston Astros outfielder Michael Brantley (shoulder) is back in the starting lineup for Wednesday's game against the Seattle Mariners. Brantley will make his return to the lineup after missing nine of the last 10 games due to a right shoulder soreness. The veteran outfielder has been available off the bench over the last few days, but will officially be back in the lineup for the first time on Wednesday. He'll cover left field and bat sixth versus right-hander Bryce Miller.
The Houston Astros didn't need him in their big win over the division-rival Seattle Mariners on Monday night, but manager Dusty Baker said before the game that outfielder Michael Brantley (shoulder) would be available off the bench. Brantley didn't make his 2023 debut until Aug. 29 due to a shoulder injury that required surgery late last year, and he's now dealing with more shoulder issues and hasn't played since Sept. 17. The 36-year-old has gone 11-for-42 (.262) with two home runs, six RBI and six runs scored in his 12 games played. It sounds like he's improving, but it remains to be seen how much he'll play in the final week of the regular season or if the Astros will even include him on their postseason roster once the playoffs begin in October.
Houston Astros outfielder Michael Brantley (general soreness) is out of the starting lineup for Saturday's game against the Kansas City Royals. This marks the fifth game in a row that Brantley has sat out due to what the team is calling general soreness. The veteran outfielder has been banged up most of the season as shoulder issues stopped him from debuting until August. At this point, it's unclear if he'll play again with eight games left in the regular season. Chas McCormick will cover left field and bat sixth versus right-hander Jordan Lyles on Saturday.
Houston Astros outfielder Michael Brantley (general soreness) remains out of the starting lineup for Friday's game against the Kansas City Royals. This marks the fourth straight game that Brantley has missed due to what the team is calling general soreness. There's a good chance that the 36-year-old was going to be sidelined again versus left-hander Cole Ragans on Friday. Chas McCormick will cover left field and bat seventh versus Ragans here. It's uncertain how much more time Brantley is going to miss due to this issue.
Houston Astros outfielder Michael Brantley is not in the starting lineup Monday against the Baltimore Orioles and left-hander John Means. The veteran is 0-for-9 with a strikeout over his last two games and will take a seat against the lefty on Monday while Chas McCormick takes over in left field. A shoulder injury kept Brantley out until late August and he hasn't been at his best since returning. The 36-year-old has hit .262 with two homers and a .702 OPS across 44 plate appearances on the season, and while he has struck out just twice in that time, he has also drawn just a single walk so far this season. His lack of power and speed at this stage in his career has kept Brantley off the fantasy radar over the last several seasons.
