Brantley to make long-awaited spring debut Monday

Michael Brantley is finally returning to game action.

The Cleveland Indians outfielder, who has been plagued by incessant shoulder injuries in recent seasons, will make his spring training debut Monday, batting second for the Indians and manning left field against the Los Angeles Dodgers, according to Cleveland.com's Paul Hoynes.

Brantley first injured his shoulder while attempting to make a diving catch in September 2015 and underwent surgery to repair a torn labrum that year in November. His shoulder failed to heal properly during the offseason, however, and he was limited to just 11 games for the Indians in 2016 before undergoing a second surgery.

A healthy Brantley would be a big boost to Cleveland's hopes of bettering their World Series appearance last season. The 29-year-old is slashing .292/.348/.421 in 818 career games, all of them with the Indians.