Indians left fielder Michael Brantley has told Sports Time Ohio that his absence from the Saturday lineup has nothing to do with the back ailment that has plagued him this season and that he should be fine for Sunday.
Brantley has cooled after a torrid stretch. He is 3-for-20 after raising his average from .226 to .348 over a four-week period.
"I just told him, 'Hey, sleep in, relax, and just get yourself ready to maybe pinch-hit in about the seventh,' … and I'll do the same with [Jason Kipnis] here probably pretty soon," manager Terry Francona said to MLB.com. "I've talked to him, too. They're both really good about communicating back with me, and it helps me."