The Houston Astros had been patiently waiting for the 2023 return of Michael Brantley. Unfortunately for Houston, the Astros will be forced to wait a little longer after Brantley's latest injury update.
Brantley is suffering from inflammation in his surgically repaired shoulder, via Danielle Lerner of The Houston Chronicle. Because of it, the Astros have shut him down for an indefinite amount of time.
The outfielder had been out all season after undergoing offseason shoulder surgery. However, he seemed to be close to returning, as Brantley recently completed a rehab assignment. He played in nine games at the AAA level, hitting .250 with five RBI and an 11/1 BB/K ratio.
However, something flared up in Brantley's shoulder. He flew back to Houston for testing and was ultimately shut down from hitting. When the tests revealed that he was suffering from shoulder inflammation, Brantley was shut down from all baseball activity. The Astros are still not aware of how long Brantley will be out.
Losing Michael Brantley for an extended period of time is a major blow to the Astros. Jose Altuve has been injured all season while Luis Garcia is now forced to undergo Tommy John surgery. Outside of Houston's injury woes, Brantley is a valued member of the team's lineup. He has hit .306 with 40 home runs and 185 RBI since joining the team in 2019.
Brantley was expected to play a major role in Houston's World Series chase. However, the Astros will now be without the five-time All Star and Silver Slugger for the foreseeable future
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