Astros general manager James Click wouldn't commit Sunday to Brantley (shoulder) being able to return from the 10-day injured list before the end of the season, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports. "We hope [Brantley will return in 2022], but with every passing day, you have to kind of take an honest look at it," Click said.

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Click added that he had "no update" on Brantley's status while the 35-year-old hasn't yet been cleared to swing a bat since mid-July, a couple weeks after he initially landed on the IL. Though the end of the regular season is just under two months away, Brantley will likely still need to make some meaningful progress over the next couple of weeks for the Astros to feel more confident about his chances of playing again in 2022. In the meantime, the Astros will lean on a combination of Trey Mancini, Aledmys Diaz, Chas McCormick and Mauricio Dubon to replace Brantley in the everyday lineup.