RADIO
The Cleveland Indians could shut Michael Brantley down for the rest of season as he continues to deal with a nagging shoulder issue.
The outfielder’s absence for the final handful of games is bad news for fantasy owners competing in their championship matchup without the former All-Star in the lineup. The Indians are now mathematically eliminated from playoff contention, which makes the potentially benching of Brantley a smart move.
"If we need to," Indians manager Terry Francona told MLB.com whether they would need to shut down Brantley. "I don't think you do it unless you need to. I think our guys have done a really good job these last two months of playing through a lot of adversity and challenges. Again, there has to be common sense when it comes to injuries."
Injuries have compiled the 28-year-old’s 2015 season. Brantley has tried to play through the shoulder issue and many others but the season is practically over. There's no reason to risk further injury. The latest issue came last week when he dove for a ball in the outfield.
In 137 games this season, Brantley has a .310/.379/.480 batting line with 15 HR, 15 SB and 84 RBI.
