The Indians have received positive feedback as they walk the proverbial tightrope that is left fielder Michael Brantley’s progression from biceps tenodesis surgery last August.
But, this spring, the club knows that a wait-and-see approach is warranted, if not demanded, even in the face of optimism. Brantley flew past his expected timetable last spring but was ultimately lost for all but 11 games in 2016 after his shoulder repeatedly responded negatively once he reached game speed.
To this point, the news has been positive. Brantley took batting practice on the field in back-to-back days for the first time and, according to Indians manager Terry Francona, felt good.
“He’s handling everything remarkably well,” Francona told reporters in Goodyear, Ariz. “That’s probably the best we could say it. You can see he’s in great shape. He’s worked so d*** hard that he’s cut. He’s worked so hard. We’ve just kind of got to let it play itself out, try not to rush it and give him the best chance to, when he gets back, to stay back. That’s the biggest thing.”
The Indians still have not put a timetable on his return or when he might take the next step. Before he plays in any Cactus League games, Brantley will first hit in simulated games at the Indians’ spring training complex. The timing of those simulated games will be up to how Brantley feels each day and the medical staff’s reports.
“I think we’re just trying to be fair to him,” Francona said. “I think we’re always optimistic. You always want to be and he certainly gives you a good reason to be that. But I think you always want to be fair, just knowing what happened last year, not throwing too much at him too quick. … [Not having a timetable] is by design. It’s just not fair to him to ever do that. When the medical people feel like he’s ready, we’ll find a sim game for him, believe me.”
And so continues the cautious march toward Brantley’s return to the middle of the Indians’ lineup.
Get the mitt
One of the questions after the Indians’ signing of Edwin Encarnacion, along with where he might fit into the lineup, was how Francona would divvy up playing time between he and Carlos Santana at first base, while the other acted as the designated hitter.
During Encarnacion’s free agency, it was commonly thought that he might have to land with an American League team, since he’s been known more for his bat than his glove and recently turned 34 years old.
Encarnacion played in 75 games at first base for the Toronto Blue Jays last season and finished with zero defensive runs saved and a UZR of 1.7, per FanGraphs.com. Those marks ranked 17th and 12th in the league among first basemen with at least 600 innings played in 2016, respectively. He had nearly identical numbers at first base in 2015.
Santana was slightly better in 2016, though for a defensive metric, it’s a fairly small sample size. Santana finished with one defensive run saved and an UZR of 2.2. In their careers at first base, the separation becomes a bit wider and the statistical significance becomes a bit stronger. Encarnacion has -17 DRS in 3,392 innings at first base. Santana is at -8 DRS in 3,507 innings. Neither is above average defensively but Santana has been better and is improving.
When Mike Napoli was signed prior to last season, it was clear that, statistically, he was the more accomplished first baseman, though he ended up having a down year defensively. With Encarnacion taking his place, Santana is set to see more time at first base.
“I think Carlos will play significantly more than he did last year,” Francona said. “I think he’s really excited about that. I know I’ve said it a number of times but Carlos, everything about his game has gone forward for the better. His work ethic, his attitude, his openness to listen. It’s fun.”
The middle ground the Indians are looking for is to balance playing time while keeping both bats in the lineup as often as possible. Francona hopes a level of communication that Napoli and Santana established last year to help that balance will continue.
“Nap did a good job last year with Carlos,” Francona said. “When Nap needed to DH, he’d check with Carlos to see how he was doing. That went a long way. These guys are really good friends. They’re going to communicate together and I’ll get with them too. The idea is to keep their production in the lineup as much as you can.”
Ryan Lewis can be reached at rlewis@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the Indians blog at www.ohio.com/indians. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/RyanLewisABJ and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/RyanLewisABJ