Astros general manager Dana Brown said Brantley's (shoulder) readiness for Opening Day is "going to go down to the wire," Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

EDGE Analysis

Brantley is hitting, fielding, and "not feeling much pain," per Brown, but the Astros still intend to bring him along slowly this spring as he completes his recovery from right shoulder labrum surgery last August. The 35-year-old was re-signed to a one-year, $12 million contract in December and currently projects to serve as Houston's primary DH in 2023. He probably won't play in any Grapefruit League games before mid-March.