Brantley Returns in Cleveland; May Rejoin Indians This Week in Minnesota

Indians outfielder Michael Brantley is closer to coming back to the Indians, and Sunday returned to Cleveland to have another chat with the club to figure out when he can take the field for the first time in 2016.

Brantley was with the Clippers in Columbus the past few days, going 0-for-4 with a RBI in Saturday’s Clippers 7-1 win, and on Friday he went 0-for-3 with a run scored, a walk and a strikeout.

ROSTER MOVE:

OF Michael Brantley – returned to Cleveland from ML rehab assignment

— Columbus Clippers (@CLBClippers) April 24, 2016

Friday Indians manager Terry Francona said that he felt Brantley was getting closer to a return with the team, and Paul Hoynes pointed to a possible return this week in Minnesota when the Indians take on the Twins.

“I think he’s getting there,” said Francona. “We definitely want to see him go back-to-back just to be fair to him. Then we’ll sit and talk to him.”

With Brantley coming back to Cleveland today to talk to the team, there’s a good chance he’ll be back on the playing field for the Tribe this week to make his 2016 MLB debut.