Houston Astros Slugger Takes Positive Step Amid Injury-Riddled Season

He's been out all year, but there is some positive news for Houston Astros slugger Michael Brantley.

He's been out all season, but there is finally some recent good news for Houston Astros slugger Michael Brantley.

The following update comes from the Rotowire fantasy baseball portal:

Brantley (shoulder) took live batting practice Saturday, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.

ANALYSIS
It was his first on-field hitting work since he got shut down again in early July due to renewed discomfort in his surgically-repaired right shoulder. Brantley has been sidelined all season and there is still no timetable for his 2023 debut, but he's at least seems to be trending in a positive direction.

Again, this isn't the first bit of good news that Brantley has had this year. He was out on a rehab assignment earlier in the season when he was shut down again, so it's been an up-and-down struggle. We'll have to wait to see how he responds in the coming days and if he's able to repeat his swing without discomfort.

If the Astros can get him back for the stretch run, he'd certainly be a big help to the lineup, but there's no guarantees of that at this point.

He's a career .298 hitter across 14 seasons and owns an excellent lifetime .356 on-base percentage.

In four years with Houston, Brantley has been better than those averages, hitting .306 with a .368 on-base percentage.

He is a five-time All-Star who has also won a Silver Slugger award.

The Astros are currently 55-44 and in second place in the American League West. They trail the Texas Rangers by 3.0 games.

They'll take on the A's on Sunday afternoon at 4:07 p.m. ET.

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