Houston Astros Beat Red Sox in Brantley's Return
The Houston Astros finally got outfielder Michael Brantley on the field for the first time this season, as he made his 2023 debut against the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday.
The return was a long time coming for Brantley, who missed the Astros’ World Series run last season after a shoulder injury required surgery.
After two rehab assignments — one of which was a false start back in the spring and led to a stint on the 60-day injured list — the Astros activated him on Tuesday and sent Corey Julks back to Triple-A.
Brantley batted sixth on Tuesday and played left field. That allowed the Astros to move Yordan Alvarez to designated hitter. On Wednesday Brantley is expected to be the DH and Alvarez will likely return to left field.
Brantley ended up going 0-for-4. He grounded out on the second inning, grounded into a double play in the fourth inning, flew out to right field in the sixth inning and lined out to second base in the seventh inning.
The Astros beat the Red Sox, 6-2.
Brantley joined the Astros in Boston on Monday but waited one day to activate him to give him a chance to talk with trainers and go through one final workout with the team.
Brantley played seven rehab games at Sugar Land in August, including two back-to-back rehab games last week in an effort to see what he could physically handle. In seven games, he batted .348 with two doubles, a home run and seven RBI.
Brantley’s recovery from a shoulder injury has had fits and starts.
The Astros lost Brantley last August when he had right shoulder surgery for a torn labrum. At the time, Brantley was batting .288 and had a .370 on-base percentage, which was ranked second on the team. This came after four straight seasons in which he hit .300 or better. Despite losing Brantley, the Astros were able to win their second World Series in six years.
The Astros re-signed Brantley in the offseason, knowing he might not be ready for the start of the regular season.
He started a rehab assignment at Triple-A Sugar Land in late April, but a setback caused the Astros to transfer him on the 60-day injured list on June 23. That was shortly before Astros manager Dusty Baker said that Brantley need to take a break from preparing to return, as he had “plateaued.”
