CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Indians' outfield is about to get a little more crowded with one week remaining before the postseason.

Lonnie Chisenhall, who has not played since aggravating his sore right calf on Sept. 14, ran prior to Tuesday's game at Progressive Field and manager Terry Francona is leaning toward having him available Wednesday night against Minnesota.

"The fact that he ran and did well is really encouraging," Francona said before Tuesday's series opener.

When Chisenhall returns, Francona will likely work him in at a corner outfield spot while Jason Kipnis continues to get work in center.

"I think naturally you're going to be comfortable where you've played the most," Francona said of Chisenhall. "On the corners, he's an above average outfielder."

Brandon Guyer, also out since Sept. 14 with a sore wrist, will attempt to hit during pregame later this week, Francona said.

Meanwhile, Francona said Michael Brantley, who hasn't played since Aug. 9 after spraining his right ankle, is going to try to run later this week. Brantley has been limited to "baseball activities" including throwing and hitting, but was prohibited from running by trainers. He received a second opinion on his injured right ankle from Dr. Thomas Clanton in Vail, Colo., on Sept. 18.

The doctor confirmed that Brantley is dealing with a deltoid ligament sprain along with right ankle synovitis.

"It's kind of one step at a time," Francona said. "We'll see how he does and see where that leads."

Depth of field: With all the injuries and movement in the outfield, Francona said Tuesday that he's pleased with the way players have responded.

"Guys have stepped in and done a really good job whether it's Greg Allen or (Tyler) Naquin's played, Abe (Almonte) has played, Kip is out there now, Austin Jackson has been consistent the entire way. So you don't want to lose guys ever, but sometimes when you do, guys step in and take advantage of it and help you win and that's the idea."

Sample size: Francona said he is pleased with the way Kipnis has performed in center field despite getting relatively few balls hit his way. In 30 innings across five starts in center, Kipnis has two putouts in two chances.

"He hasn't been challenged a ton," Francona said. "He's moved in a couple of steps each game, which means he's getting more confident."

Francona said he is equally curious about how Kipnis responds at the plate, noting that the more at-bats he gets in his return from multiple hamstring issues, "it's almost like putting gas in the tank."

Kipnis entered Tuesday's game hitting .333 with two doubles and three RBI in 15 at-bats since returning Sept. 17.

Veteran presence: Francona was asked how much Austin Jackson's veteran presence has helped the club this season.

"A lot," Francona responded. "Both times he has come back from the DL, we've needed outfielders and he's stepped in and played against both left-handers and right-handers and really done well."

In 33 games since Brantley went on the disabled list, Jackson is hitting .320 with 13 extra-base hits and 14 RBI in 125 at-bats, making it hard for Francona to find days to get him some rest.

"We've tried to," Francona said. "He's done a really good job of communicating with us and also keeping himself available because he's really been productive."

Francona said Jackson's ability to contribute can't be measured in statistics alone.

"He's a real good pro," Francona said. "He's endeared himself to a lot of people around here, myself included."

Multiple innings for Clev: Mike Clevinger's role in the bullpen for the postseason will be as a multiple-inning reliever. Francona said there's a chance he could be used in a matchup situation, but it depends on the inning and score.

"But it's nice to know you have a guy that's fully capable of doing that."