Michael Brantley starting to look like old self again

Well, between my alma mater (UCI) getting denied a trip to the big dance on Saturday, Jason Kipnis most likely being sidelined for opening day, and me dealing with the flu, this was not the most exciting weekend. But I suppose things can only get better, right? RIGHT?! *cough* Alright, let’s get to the news.

Tribe News

Playful Brantley looking more like himself | MLB

While one member of the Cleveland Indians is currently dealing with shoulder issues, it looks like another is recovering nicely as Michael Brantley took a simulated hitting session in Goodyear Monday morning. It bears repeating that getting Brantley back and healthy will be a huge deal for the Cleveland Indians.

Tribe mulling internal options with Kipnis out | MLB

For reasons unbeknownst to me, Michael Martinez is one of these options.

Fastball madness: Seven things we learned Monday as Cleveland Indians lose to Chicago, 9-5 | Cleveland.com

If you look at the box score from Monday afternoon’s game, you may be inclined to be worried that the #2 starter for the Tribe, Carlos Carrasco, gave up eight runs in fewer than two innings. While that’s not good, it may be because he was throwing his fastball almost exclusively to see how it looked/felt.

Around the League

• Despite Cleveland having the helmet-less Jose Ramirez bobblehead, the New York Mets may have the best bobblehead of 2017.
• Cincinnati starter Anthony Desclafani will be out for a while with a sprained UCL.
• David Price says that his elbow feels good despite agreeing that he would probably undergo surgery if he were younger.