Brantley (shoulder) is taking normal batting practice pitching at an indoor cage Friday after previously being restricted to a soft-toss program, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.
The outfielder's timetable remains up in the air, and a need to rehab into the season looks highly possible. Still, the fact he's taking cuts off live pitches offers a step in the right direction. In the waning rounds of a mixed fantasy draft, owners still can take a logical chance on at least a partial season from the 2014 AL MVP candidate.