“Disappointing but not surprising” “Hard blow for the playoffs”

Houston Astros outfielder Michael Brantley will miss the remainder of the current season, a official club statement confirmed Friday.

The veteran outfielder underwent arthroscopic labral repair in his right shoulder, a problem that has bothered him for some time.

Brantley has been out of action since June, and the extent of his shoulder struggles was not known until now.

“Houston #Astro All-Star OF Michael Brantley underwent season-ending shoulder surgery. Big blow for the Astros’ offense.” – Bob Nightengale

The Astros have been vague about the nature of Brantley’s injury. Last month, general manager James Click said there was no update on Brantley except to wait for his shoulder inflammation to improve.

It is now clear that Brantley suffered serious structural damage and fans are praying for his speedy recovery.

Astros fans are understandably concerned about the impact Brantley’s absence would have on their playoff ambitions. Brantley is averaging .288 with 14 doubles, five home runs, 26 RBIs and .785 OPS in 64 games this year.

The Houston Astros have done well in Brantley’s absence since June as they continue to dominate the proceedings in the AL West. Understandably, some fans are inclined to believe their team will do just fine in the playoffs without him.

It’s not the first time the 35-year-old has gone under the knife for shoulder problems. In November 2015, Brantley underwent another surgery to repair a small tear in his labrum.

Michael Brantley may have played his last Houston Astros game

Brantley is in the final year of his $32 million contract. He might have played his last MLB game for the Houston Astros had he chosen not to renew.

His contributions to the club since joining in 2019 have been immense. The influence of “Uncle Mike” goes beyond statistics, as manager Dusty Baker was quick to point out when asked about Brantley’s latest shoulder update.

“He’s not called Uncle Mike for nothing…he wants to come back as soon as he can and be a part of this club. There’s a lot of these guys who depend on him” – Dusty Baker

Brantley hit a combined .306/.368/.464 in about 379 regular-season plate appearances for the Astros. That excludes the 211 additional plateau appearances in the playoffs in which he averaged 0.314/0.376/0.408.

If this is the end of Uncle Mike’s run in Houston colors, well, what a run it has been.

Coming soon!