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Indians notebook: Outfielder Michael Brantley continuing positive progress; manager Terry Francona discusses honoring Jackie Robinson, Larry Doby

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CLEVELAND: As Indians outfielder Michael Brantley has rehabbed from offseason shoulder surgery, the focus hasn’t just been on how he’s felt during minor league assignments.

It’s also been on how he’s bounced back the next day.

Brantley, who went 1-for-2 in a rehab assignment Thursday night for the Double-A RubberDucks, has gotten all positive feedback this week in two rehab assignments.

“I feel good, very excited,” Brantley said. “It was good to hit BP today, so it’s almost like a back-to-back. … I’m very excited [with] where I’m at. My shoulder’s responded very well. I understand it’s still a process, but all good signs so far.”

Brantley is scheduled to play Saturday in Akron and then likely play every other day, per Indians manager Terry Francona.

“I think he feels pretty good about himself,” Francona said. “He’s going to work out with us [Friday] and he’ll go back to Akron tomorrow and play about six or seven innings, depending on the volume, the length of innings, things like that. And he’ll go every other day like that for a couple more days. He’s doing pretty well.”

The next key milestone for Brantley is to play in back-to-back games. He said on Friday that he feels good enough to do that, though the team will wait a few days to make sure his shoulder can handle the workload.

“We’ll certainly talk to him as he goes, but I think that’s probably [realistic],” Francona said. “I think the best way to put it is we want to make sure this works. We’d hate to get him back here and then find out that maybe he’s not bouncing back or he’s not ready to bounce back.”

Outfielder Lonnie Chisenhall, on the 15-day disabled list with a left wrist impingement, is scheduled to play back-to-back days for the Ducks and then meet with the team on Sunday. The New York Mets are scheduled to throw left-hander Steven Matz on Sunday, so Chisenhall could be given an extra day. Either way, it’s likely that Chisenhall is only a few days from returning to the Indians.

Honoring Jackie

Friday was Jackie Robinson Day around baseball, in which every player, manager and umpire wears No. 42 to honor the man who broke the major league’s color barrier. Prior to Friday’s game, Francona discussed the trials and tribulations that Robinson and his family went through, and how absurd it was that something like that even had to happen.

“I think it’s so important to recognize and pay tribute to him, what he went through,” Francona said. “I think it goes beyond baseball. At times I hope that we’re celebrating the right things. The fact of what he had to endure is hard to imagine. And when you think about that, how embarrassing it is that somebody’s treated differently because of the color of their skin. Nobody’s ever going to be able to explain that one to me where I understand it.”

Francona also turned his attention to Larry Doby, the first black player to play in the American League. While honoring Robinson, Francona wouldn’t mind seeing some additional tribute paid to Doby as well, as he went through many of the same things.

“I hope the league will allow us to wear his 14 sometime,” Francona said. “What was he, two months behind Jackie? I’m sure the taunts and the life was not [much different] because he was two months behind. What he had to endure was incredible also.”

Last July, the Indians unveiled a Doby statue that stands beyond right-center field, beside statues of Bob Feller and Jim Thome.

Ryan Lewis can be reached at rlewis@thebeaconjournal.com.


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