It has been over a year since Michael Brantley underwent shoulder surgery and even longer (June 26, 2022) since the veteran slugger appeared in a big league game. However, Brantley’s long recovery process may finally be nearing an end, as Astros GM Dana Brown told 790 AM’s Robert Ford in a radio interview today (hat tip to Danielle Lerner of the Houston Chronicle) that Brantley might begin a minor league rehab assignment within a week’s time. “This was the time where we really started to grind [Brantley] a little bit where he got sore and the fact that he’s pushing through this, there’s no soreness,” Brown said. “He’s feeling really good, this feels like a special moment to try get that left-handed bat back….So hopefully he continues to feel well.”
The Astros were confident enough in Brantley’s recovery to sign him to a one-year, $12MM free agent deal last winter, though an initial expectation of an Opening Day return was delayed a season-opening stint on the injured list. Brantley was then expected back early in May except another setback shut down his rehab entirely, and he had to briefly shut things down again July after restarting his hitting work in June. Brown’s comments today provide some fresh optimism, but considering Brantley has yet to face live pitching, it may still be a while before he is fully ramped up and ready for MLB competition. Speculatively, Brantley might be on track for a September return if all goes well, which could provide the Astros with a nice boost for the stretch run and perhaps into the playoffs.
More from the AL West…
- The Rangers activated catcher Jonah Heim from the 10-day injured list today, and optioned Sam Huff to Triple-A in the corresponding move. After a left wrist tendon strain sent Heim to the IL on July 27, he returns within the 2-3 week recovery timeline that was initially projected at the time of his placement. Heim’s outstanding performance in the first half earned an All-Star nod, though his absence hasn’t slowed the Rangers down at all, in part because Mitch Garver has also been hitting up a storm in a part-time catching role. Even if Heim’s wrist problem limits him to being a left-handed batter rather than a switch-hitter, Garver’s presence should guard Texas against any sort of offensive dropoff behind the plate.
- Shohei Ohtani will skip his next scheduled start due to arm fatigue, Angels manager Phil Nevin told the Associated Press and other media. Ohtani was initially slated to face the Rangers on Wednesday, but due to what Nevin described as “some normal arm fatigue that happens at times,” the Halos will now hold Ohtani’s next start back until a series with the Reds that begins on August 21. The arm issue won’t prevent Ohtani from his usual regular DH duty, and the two-way superstar underlined that point by hitting a home run (his 41st of the season) in the Angels’ 2-1 victory over the Astros today.
I’m glad I don’t have to figure Ohtani’s upcoming contract.
Lots and lots of zeros
Announce Wander Franco release!
Eh… who cares, especially when he is that good
Relationship with a 14 year old…..I sure hope someone would care. I don’t care how good someone is at baseball…that’s a pretty serious accusation.
Wander Franco has been accused of having an inappropriate relationship with a 14 year old minor. The allegations have been posted on Instagram.
Or, just a thought here, keep the comments on an individual post about the actual post.
There wasn’t a post when the comments were made.
Then maybe wait until there is instead of trying to hijack a different post?
No one is forcing you to read the comments, or reply to them for that matter. It’s weird that you care enough to make a comment about it.
I’m laid up in the hospital, post surgery with nothing better to do. What’s your excuse? Lol.
Heal up or you will have to change name to blackandblue lol
Why is Felipe Vazquez still administratively a member of the Pirates organization!?
Idk, there might be some rule where you can’t release a player while they’re on the restricted list. I wish they would outright let him go though, and if it is a rule they can’t let him go while on the restricted list, I wish MLB would at least let this one as an exception.
Guaranteed portion of his contract ran through 2021 so I would assume they would have just declined the club options and let him walk after that. Wouldn’t even technically qualify as a “release” because he would no longer be under contract. But apparently that didn’t happen because his ESPN page, BR page and the 2023 Pittsburgh Pirates season Wikipedia page all say he’s still technically a Pirate.
Could you imagine if a team had made a deal for Ohtani and he ends up not being able to pitch… someone dodged a bullet there.
Yeah only getting one of the best bats in the league would be a real gyp.
It would be if you really needed a starter and dealt a boatload of prospects for him.
What ever contract he signs will be because of his “two way” abilities….which does include pitching also…..nobody is disagreeing that he is an exceptional hitter, but that next contract is for a 2 way player…….and if he can’t make anything more than 20-25 starts over the course of a season, and be able to pitch in the playoffs for his new team…..constructing a pitching staff becomes much more difficult…..and yes the money that you paid him would be a “gyp”!
Whoever signs him will only get 25 starts from him a season max. He pitches about 6 innings 1 time a week now. And somehow his arm gets tired from that little work.
He’s still hitting everyday. Sure 25 starts/6 innings a start might be a light load for a top half of the rotation starting pitcher, but Ohtani isn’t your typical SP either.
I watch Ohtani games and I hate the Angels. I’m in my forties and I am considering buying an Ohtani jersey. I live in Korea and plan to schedule my next trip to the US after factoring in whether or not I’ll be able to see Ohtani in person, hitting or pitching. He is the best player of this generation and a super special talent. Ohtani is worth a HUGE contract because he is such a mammoth star.
Also, this wouldn’t be a proper post if I didn’t also vilify the Angels for not getting him to the playoffs. Angels!!! Argh!!!
Can ee call it a “Rendon Contract”?
Rendon! Jeesh, who knew that guy was so fragile?
Notani is having a good year not a great year, he will not pass Judge’s HR record and will finish under .300at the end of the year. The Angels took him out of the rotation to preserve his pitching record, they didn’t want to test him against the Rangers.
He’d still pitch in a six rotation, the team would still not have to replace a starter.
Ohtani is GREAT, but it’s not all rainbows and cherries. He takes up the DH spot and requires a six man rotation.
“takes up the DH spot” is a very odd description of the best DH in the league…
When you have Mike Trout who could really use the days rest from the field while keeping his bat in lineup, it kinda is taking up DH spot. That is no fault of Ohtani’s, but it is reality for the Angels.
As far as the 6 man rotation, that was true for most of 2021. Last year Ohtani started 28 games and this year he’s started 22 already despite missing a few starts with the blisters. They have not used a 6 man rotation in last 2 seasons. They have spot started a guy here and there which is pretty much standard across MLB.
I know that hindsight is always 20/20, but they should have traded Ohtani. 6.5 games back, only a snowball’s chance of making the playoffs and now this. And I say that as someone who was very pro trade at the deadline.
Yes. Instead of adding to fa4m, the Angels emptied it. The have the worst system in baseball.
The Angels minor league system would look alot better if Perry was not forced to bring up their best players prematurely due to injury – Neto, Silseth, O’Hoppe, Bachman, Joyce, etc.
O’Hoppe still counts. And he was traded for Marsh. And are you suggesting the would not have gotten hurt in the minors?
Neto was a fluke. The other three broke down.
I’m suggesting that Perry was forced to call up young minor leaguers prematurely due primarily to injuries on the major league roster. As a result, Neto, Silseth, O’Hoppe, Bachman and Joyce were promoted from AA and AAA rather than develop more fully at those levels. Further, because of injuries, Perry had to trade for Moustakas, Escobar, Grichek and Cron which depleted the Angels minor league system of top 30 guys such as Madden, Albright, Marceaux and Crow. If the Angels farm system still had the nine prospects listed above, they would be ranked higher. Halo, do you believe the Angels minor league system would be more highly rated if the nine prospects mentioned above were still at AA or AAA?
Imo, Perry is promoting and trading many minor leaguers out of necessity, not by choice (Quero and Bush were traded by choice to get Giolito and company). That said, it’s incredible that Perry has accumulated so much talent in 3+ short years, that he can backfill the Angels injury riddled roster. More importantly, he’s proven he has the ability to acquire young talent thru the draft and trades to replenish the system in the future.
Every team calls up young minor league players.
Are you suggesting Neto and Silseth have been better than the young minor league players other teams have brought up.
This entire organization need an overhaul. And based on his moves, which few have worked, I see nothing to suggest Minasian is a good talent evaluator.
Looks like Silseth has developed fine
He’s had a good month. One good month.
You can try to distract from the main point all you want to but it is a fact that the Angels farm system would be much better had they not had to bring up so many prospects all at once to counter injuries. The plan was to have the depth pieces they acquired in the offseason not only as current depth but to also allow the Zach Netos and the Mickey Moniaks to complete their development to be in the lineup in 2024. The only reason O’Hoppe was in the lineup was because Max Stassi got hurt and then attended to his still ongoing family emergency. And in your assessment of Perry Misanian, you fail to take into consideration the fact that the Angels have a hot headed manager who doesn’t seem to have a creative bone in his body, and poorly manages his pitching staff. The Angels have the wrong coaching staff. On paper, they should have wild card spot. But having the vast amount depth they have, both from the open market and from within, and being under .500 in August, is on the manager and his staff. PM has been as proactive and creative as any GM the Angels have had in both making deals and adding youth to the system, than any Angels GM in almost 30 years. If you can’t appreciate that, then you deserve Tony Reagins.
It was the right call regardless. Sometimes you have to just go for it. You don’t make the big bucks if you’re always playing it safe and never putting all your chips in.
Distract? Oh my goodness. I keep talking about his scorecard, which is horrendous and you keep sainting trying to put lipstick on a pig.
Scoreboard. Overall, his moves have sucked. Pretty hard to deny.
RyanW, you nailed it. The main problem is Nevin for sure.. And yes, the whole coaching staff to.
Oh and YES, this is a playoff caliber team, and they should be in. Nevin and leading the league in injuries and stick a fork in them.
Ps… Perry is as u said, is doing fine. He’s the only one that they should keep around next season, in the front office, and down on the field.
Halo, I get it, you hate Perry. You may not believe Perry is a good talent evaluator, but major league GMs believe he is which is why his prospects netted the Angels Giolito, Moustakas, Escobar, Cron and Grichek among others. Imo, the Angels would be 20+ games below .500 were it not for Perry’s maneuvering.
Notani isn’t your typical starting pitcher? Notani is a good pitcher not a great pitcher mii I st of his wins are against less than 500 type teams look at the stats if you think I’m wrong, Hence he is not pitching against the Rangers, but the Reds. The Rangers are in the Angels division.
Congratulations beyou, you had an 82% chance of being right pre-trade deadline. Way to go out on a limb. 😉
Getting Brantley back and hopefully keeping everyone else healthy. Things are going the right direction in H-Town.
Angels trying to beat Ohtani into the ground knowing he’s gonna sign with the Dodgers or Mariners
Beating him into the ground by having him skip his turn to pitch? Explain?
“This feels like a special moment to try and get that left handed bat back” awwwwwww how sweet.
Brantley has to be one of the most underrated players in recent baseball history. He’s just consistently a well above average hitter. Last time he had an OPS+ under 119 was in 2017. Even then, he still had a 108 OPS+ and 2.4 bWAR in only 90 games (4.0 bWAR over the course of 150 games).
Trading Ohtani would’ve, ironically, been their best chance at resigning him this winter. Restock the farm with pieces who can help in the future AND also have Ohtani. Now their farm stays as is and clearly the status quo isn’t doing much for the franchise.
Brantley coming back to the Astros for the stretch run – big if, huge if, obviously – would be a big problem for every playoff opponent.
As an Astros fan I hope Brantley can return and help this season. I do not know if they pushed him too fast or too soon or what. I think Conforto had the same issue and surgery but he had his sooner than what Brantley did and think has been playing this season. But again if good after rehab and can help going down Stretch in September great and for playoffs. I do hope Abreu can return healthy too with his back issue. I commend him for saying although had issues when came to Houston at beginning but it cleared most of time it is later in season and wonder if him picking up with the hitting in June if could have factored for slow July and start to August which is a big month for him.
I myself wonder with Ohtani as well where he could be after this season. I feel for the Angels had Pujols and now Ohtani and just not gone far. Pujols is gone and if Ohtani is what could it mean. I hear opportunities could be opening in the AL West. Astros will lose Altuve and Bregman maybe in a couple years. Need to sign Tucker and Framber as well. But this off season could be a big one for them. Maybe for this division
Fortunately the Astros do have a good farm system and hopefully there will be replacements as needed when the time comes. If nothing else, they have prospects available for trading.
Ejemp2006……Just for my own knowledge, what would it cost uou,as a Korean citizen,to make a trip to see Ohtani in the US?
The Angels better win this coming series vs. the Rangers, or there playoff chances will be cut in half. Probably From a whopping 2% to 1%. Hahaha… What they really need is a sweep. That might bring them up to a 5% chance. “So you say there’s a chance”. 😉
Theory: Ohtani doesn’t want to risk an ERA increase for the free agent implications, so he takes a slight break.
The Angels have not allowed him to pitch against the better hitting teams for the most part, this change is not at all surprising. Keep his stats up.