Indians’ Brantley progressing in recovery from ankle surgery
Cleveland Indians outfielder Michael Brantley knows all about the grind of recovering from a major injury. Way too much about the slow process back to the field.
At least this time around, he gets to put that experience to good use.
The 30-year-old Brantley has progressed to lateral agility drills as he works his way back from right ankle surgery in October with an eye toward playing as much as possible this season. If that means he isn’t ready for Cleveland’s opener at Seattle, so be it.
“I think I’m getting older and I think I’m starting to understand it more, that I need to make sure that I’m 100 per cent healthy when I come back,” Brantley said Sunday. “It takes time. It’s not going to happen overnight, but put in the hard work that you need to get done and everything comes out good in the end.”
Brantley hasn’t always had that big-picture approach as he worked his way back from an injury. Manager Terry Francona has noticed a difference this spring.
“Because he’s been through so much, I think we haven’t had to put the reins around him as much as maybe in the past,” Francona said.
“I think he’s trying to look at this thing logically also. But if hard work means anything, which it does, he’s going to be just fine.”
If Brantley can stay on the field, he could provide a huge boost for Cleveland as it tries to recover from last year’s disappointing loss to the New York Yankees in the AL Division Series. Before his recent run of injury woes, Brantley was one of the majors’ best all-around players, capable of making a key play at the plate, on the bases or in the field.