Manager Dusty Baker said Tuesday that Brantley (knee) could be activated from the 10-day injured list in the next two or three days, but he is unsure if Brantley will be able to play the field when he first returns, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

EDGE Analysis

While Baker did not sound overly optimistic about Brantley's recovery from knee soreness, his update suggests that Houston has a good chance of getting the 34-year-old's bat back in the lineup for the postseason. Whether Brantley is able to play left field if and when he returns is another question, as the knee soreness appears to be of most concern when considering his defensive mobility. If Brantley is indeed unable to contribute defensively once activated, he figures to assume the bulk of the starts at designated hitter, which would push Yordan Alvarez to left field on a regular basis.