Michael Brantley advances to batting practice, impresses Cleveland Indians' hitting coach

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- That swing looks familiar. Indians hitting coach Ty Van Burkleo has seen it before.

Michael Brantley has been taking 120 swings per day at the Indians' spring training complex. On Friday morning, he took some against actual batting practice pitching, a new step along his rehab progression.

First, Brantley completed a round of soft toss. Then, a coach switched to overhand and they conducted a regular session of batting practice. Brantley's proficiency at the plate led Van Burkleo to say, "Dr. Smooth is back. He looks good, and the ball's coming off his bat nicely."

Brantley won't appear in the club's first wave of spring training affairs. The Indians are treating his rehab with extreme caution, given that he endured this same process a year ago and only participated in 11 games during the season.

"If you didn't know he was rehabbing, you'd think he was just getting ready for the day," Van Burkleo said. "He's worked his butt off from the beginning to get where he is now. We just hope there are no setbacks.

"Right now, he's feeling really good and there are not any issues. Hopefully, it stays that way."

Brantley didn't begin taking normal batting practice swings until the second week of March last year, so he's ahead of that schedule. His status will remain cloudy, however, until the Indians can observe him in and after games.

If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.