Brantley (shoulder) acknowledged Monday that he's on schedule in his recovery from August surgery to repair his right labrum but noted that he doesn't expect to be ready to play when the Astros open Grapefruit League play Saturday, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

EDGE Analysis

Brantley relayed that he'll face no limitations defensively in spring training, and he even took grounders at first base Monday, though manager Dusty Baker said that he's "not seriously" considering deploying the 35-year-old at the position as anything more than an emergency option, per Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle. Instead, any defensive action Brantley sees in 2023 will most likely come in the corner outfield, though the Astros appear to be viewing him as their primary option at designated hitter heading into Opening Day. Since Brantley isn't yet 100 percent swinging the bat, he'll eventually need to prove that his surgically repaired shoulder isn't hindering him at the plate during spring training in order to avoid a stint on the 10-day injured list to begin the campaign.