The Indians appear to be committed to having Brantley playing in back-to-back games before activating him from the DL, MLB.com reports. " think the best way to put it is we want to make sure this works. We'd hate to get him back here and then find out that maybe he's not bouncing back, or he's not ready to bounce back," manager Terry Francona said.

EDGE Analysis

Brantley is scheduled for game action again Saturday and working out with the Indians on Friday and appears to be a mid-week option at best for the upcoming week.

Brantley (shoulder) said after Thursday's minor league game that he is "very happy" with how his shoulder has responded during his rehab assignment, Ryan Lewis of the Akron Beacon Journal reports. He's slated to work out in Cleveland on Friday.

EDGE Analysis

Brantley got the day off Wednesday but got back into game action Thursday, going 1-for-2 in a minor league game. He told reporters that he's not sure of the Indians' plan for him moving forward in terms of a timetable, but the fact that he'll be at team facilities Friday is an encouraging sign.

Brantley (shoulder), who started his rehab at Triple-A Columbus on Tuesday, will transition to Double-A Akron on Thursday and play every other day for about a week, MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

If that timetable holds for Brantley he's likely looking at a return date around the end of April as the Indians will most certainly want him to appear in consecutive games before joining the Indians.

Brantley (shoulder) will begin a rehab assignment Tuesday with Triple-A Columbus.

EDGE Analysis

The Indians have kept mum regarding Brantley's rehab assignment, but an official start date has now been announced. It's not clear how many rehab games he will need before joining the big club, but he can spend up to 20 days in the minors, and the Indians figure to give him ample time to get his stamina and swing back after Brantley was limited to just two official spring training games.

Branley (shoulder) continues to make progress in his workouts but there still is no firm timetable for the start of his rehab assignment, MLB.com reports. "He's feeling really good, so that's good. There's nothing to announce [about his game schedule]. We'll let the trainers talk to him and see what the next move is," manager Terry Francona said.

EDGE Analysis

He's most certainly out for the upcoming week and likely won't return until the end of April as he works his way back from shoulder surgery.

Brantley (shoulder) still has no timetable on when he'll head out on a rehab start and may not be back with the Indians until the end of April, MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Brantley's headed to Triple-A Columbus this weekend to workout but will not get into any games. Brantley didn't suffer any setbacks this spring but did have some lingering soreness once he tried to ramp things up for the start of the regular season so expect the Indians to tread with some caution here as he works his way back from offseason surgery.

Brantley (shoulder) will head to Triple-A Columbus to continue his rehab Friday, the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.

EDGE Analysis

It's unclear when Brantley might see some action in a minor league game but for now he'll shift his rehab to Columbus instead of travelling with the Indians as the head to Chicago for a weekend series.

Brantley (shoulder) was placed on the 15-day DL on Sunday, MLB.com's Jordan Bastian reports.

EDGE Analysis

Brantley experienced some renewed tightness in his shoulder late in spring training, but it doesn't appear the Indians are considering it a major issue. He wasn't expected to be ready for Opening Day after undergoing surgery in November, but with his absence not expected to extend deep into the season, Brantley remains worthy of stashing in just about every format.

Brantley (shoulder) will resume his hitting program Friday, MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Brantley hasn't played in an exhibition game since March 21 due to some lingering shoulder soreness but will look to ramp things back up again Friday before being re-evaluated early next week. He's set to open the season on the DL but the Indians remain hopeful that he'll still be able to return earlier than initially expected.

Manager Terry Francona confirmed Sunday that Brantley (shoulder) won't begin the season as the Indians' left fielder, Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.

EDGE Analysis

Brantley appears poised to avoid a DL stint once Opening Day arrives on April 4, as Francona said that outfielder will travel with the team. In the short term, though, Brantley has been shut down to give his shoulder a rest, with his last appearance taking place on Monday, March 21. If he indeed misses the first game of the season, Rajai Davis is the leading candidate to start in left field.