Cleveland Indians shutting down Michael Brantley for the remainder of the season

With the playoff window all but closed, the Cleveland Indians are officially ending Michael Brantley’s 2015 season. Brantley has been battling an injured shoulder that he hurt on a diving attempt earlier on September 22 in Minnesota. A recent MRI revealed shoulder inflammation, leading to the Indians making the decision to shut him down for the remaining six games. He has been listed as day-to-day and played in only two games since the injury, going 0-for-8, and has not looked like his All-Star self.

Similar to starter Carlos Carrasco, who himself was suffering from a sore shoulder last month, Brantley will be receiving a cortisone shot, which will require at least a week of rest. After which, the Indians will ramp up his activity to ensure that he is well heading into the offseason.

Were it not for this shoulder injury and a back injury that he suffered in April, Brantley could have been looking at his best season in the Majors. Even with the lingering injuries, he put up an impressive .310/.379/.480 slash line with 15 home runs and a career-high 10.1% walk rate. His ISO rating, which skyrocketed to .178 in 2014 from .112 in 2013, remained high in 2015 (.170), indicating that the power-hitting Brantley could be here to stay.

If the Indians wanted to rush Brantley back and try and squeeze him in for a couple games, that could be a possibility, but they are taking the smart route and shutting him down while the team finishes out their playoff-less season.

Brantley played in 137 games this season, his fewest since 2011 when he played in 114 in his first season at full-time outfield duties.