Cleveland Indians: Michael Brantley Suffers Setback During Rehab Assignment

Things just have not been going Michael Brantley‘s way this year.

During a rehab assignment with Double-A Akron, Brantley’s troublesome shoulder injury flared up again, according to Cleveland Indians manager Terry Francona, via Paul Hoynes of cleveland.com.

“He had a number of at-bats the other night (Sunday at Akron) and felt his shoulder again,” said manager Terry Francona. “We convened and the way he phrased it to me, and he didn’t seem terribly concerned about it, is he just feels like he’s having a tough time pushing through the last little bit (of his swing).”

Francona went on to say that Brantley will undergo tests on Wednesday to determine the severity of the injury.

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Brantley’s shoulder injury kept him out of the lineup through spring training and the beginning of the season. He returned for a brief 11-game stint with the big-league club in late April and early May before the injury forced him back on the disabled list.

President Chris Antonetti said the team will “hit the pause button” on Brantley’s rehab assignment, but noted that it doesn’t mean the slugger is done for the year, per Hoynes.

“We’re not at that point yet,” said Antonetti. “I think first we want to understand what’s going on. What’s causing him to have the little bit of soreness he’s experiencing now and how do we help him through that.”

With Brantley sidelined indefinitely, Cleveland’s trade deadline approach may change. At the beginning of his rehab assignment, it was thought Brantley could return at the end of July.

Now it’s looking like that will not happen, which could provide the Indians with a need for another bat. The team has performed well with the outfield combination of Tyler Naquin, Jose Ramirez, Lonnie Chisenhall, Rajai Davis, and more recently Abraham Almonte, but could seek another middle-of-the-order type bats.

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Players who could be available and have been connected to the Indians include Carlos Beltran and Jay Bruce. Additionally, cbssports.com reports that Cleveland could also consider trading for Josh Reddick, Carlos Gonzalez, Charlie Blackmon, Melvin Upton, or Ryan Braun.

With Brantley still on the shelf, will the Tribe make a move for one of these outfielders? Should they? Sound off in the comments section and let us know what you think.