Brantley (shoulder) said last week that he's hopeful of being ready for Opening Day, according to MLB.com's Brian McTaggart.

EDGE Analysis

Brantley required surgery to repair the labrum in his right shoulder last August, and even a minor setback could cause a delay in his availability for the early part of the Astros' regular-season schedule. He's trending in a positive direction at the moment, but this is something to monitor throughout spring training. The veteran outfielder re-upped with Houston in December on a one-year, $12 million contract.

Brantley (shoulder) agreed to a one-year, $12 million contract with the Astros on Sunday, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.

EDGE Analysis

The veteran outfielder missed the final three-plus months of 2022 and underwent surgery to repair the labrum in his right shoulder during August, and he'll return to Houston for at least one more season. Brantley is apparently fully recovered from the procedure, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, and he should split his playing time between left field and designated hitter with Yordan Alvarez.

Brantley (shoulder) said Wednesday that he should be ready to resume full baseball activities by spring training, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

EDGE Analysis

Though Brantley is set to become a free agent this winter, is turning 36 years old in May and is working back from August surgery to repair the labrum in his right shoulder, he isn't yet ready to retire. Brantley's power production has trended down in recent seasons and he's probably a better fit at designated hitter than in the corner outfield at this stage of his career, but his elite contact skills should be enough for him to secure a one-year deal on the open market.

Brantley (shoulder) was transferred to the 60-day injured list Saturday.

EDGE Analysis

Brantley's move to the 60-day IL is simply procedural since the outfielder recently underwent a season-ending arthroscopic labral repair on his right shoulder. Whether he'll be able to return to the field in time for spring training in 2023 isn't yet clear.

Brantley underwent an arthroscopic labral repair on his right shoulder and will miss the remainder of the season.

EDGE Analysis

Brantley has been sidelined with his shoulder injury since late June and received a second medical opinion on his shoulder Wednesday. He'll be unable to return this year following his procedure, and it's not yet clear whether he's expected to return in time for spring training in 2023. He appeared in 64 games this season and slashed .288/.370/.416 with five homers, 28 runs, 26 RBI and a stolen base.

Astros bench coach Joe Espada said Wednesday that Brantley is receiving a second medical opinion on his injured right shoulder, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

GM James Click said recently he had no update on Brantley's status but indicated it's possible the veteran outfielder doesn't see the field again this year, though Click said he still hopes Brantley will return to action. The 35-year-old has been sidelined by the injury since late June, and he was shut down in mid-July when his body responded poorly to swinging a bat. At this point, Brantley shouldn't be expected to rejoin the Astros until at least sometime in September, assuming he even sees the field again in 2022.

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.

EDGE Analysis

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.

Brantley (shoulder) said Wednesday he hasn't swung a bat since landing on the 10-day injured list June 28 and is without a timeline to resume doing so, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports. "I don't want to put a timetable on [swinging a bat] because then I don't know if it's pushing too hard or not pushing hard enough. It's literally day by day," Brantley said.

EDGE Analysis

Brantley's lack of meaningful progress in his recovery from the injury may have influenced the Astros' decision to acquire Trey Mancini from the Orioles prior to Tuesday's trade deadline. The fact that Brantley hasn't yet been moved to the 60-day injured list offers some hope that he'll be back in action by the second half of August, but a clearer target date for his return won't be established until he begins to ramp up his baseball activities.

Manager Dusty Baker said Thursday that Brantley (shoulder) has yet to resume swinging a bat, Danielle Lerner of the Houston Chronicle reports.

EDGE Analysis

It was reported last week that Brantley was close to taking swings, but it appears the veteran outfielder still hasn't been cleared. The 35-year-old's recovery from the shoulder injury, which put him on the injured list in late June, has been slow, and it's unclear when he's expected to retake the field for the Astros.

Brantley (shoulder) could begin swinging a bat within the next week, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Brantley has been sidelined since June 26 and has made limited progress since. He'll take the first step in his return to the field but will need to ramp up his activity and complete a rehab appearance prior to being activated. Brantley could return at some point in early August.