DETROIT -- Michael Brantley has a few favorite cliches that he enjoys reciting.
He likes to give it his all "each and every day." He wants to "continue to work hard." He prides himself on "being a good teammate."
So when asked about his lingering back injury on Saturday, Brantley, in his typical fashion, resorted to his laundry list of timeless adages, rather than delve into specifics about the strain that has ailed him since at least the start of spring training. One thing is certain: The back injury hasn't hindered his swing this weekend. Brantley has seven hits in eight at-bats against the Tigers.
"He's a good hitter and he's starting to feel good which is great for us," said manager Terry Francona. "I think his back's probably not perfect but I don't think it's getting in the way right now."
Brantley arrived in Goodyear, Arizona in mid-February with a balky lower back. He missed a handful of games during spring training and two of the first three games of the regular season before he underwent an MRI and was diagnosed with a strain. He missed four more games after that.
"There are things that you have to work through," Brantley said.
Brantley said he hopes the injury won't linger through the rest of the season, but he knows he must cede control of his status to the training staff.
"We have a great medical staff with a great game plan," he said. "The only thing I care about is to be out there with my teammates."
Brantley delivered the Indians' only run on Saturday with one of his four hits. Two other times, he was stranded in scoring position. He doesn't appear to be running the bases or moving around in the outfield with the same grace and athleticism.
"Sometimes you make a move and it grabs at you a little bit," Francona said. "It doesn't seem to be affecting his swing."
That's the bright spot at this juncture. Since Brantley returned to the lineup on April 17, he has tallied 13 hits in 31 at-bats (.419). He's been hitting well each and every day.
"No one is always 100 percent healthy all the time," Brantley said. "You have to grind it out and be tough mentally."