Terry Francona

Monday was the 66th day that the Indians have been in first place in the AL Central, but Detroit is closing. Manager Terry Francona said over the weekend that he never though the Indians were going to run and hide from the rest of the division.

(Seth Wenig, Associated Press)

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Michael Brantley's comeback from surgery on his right shoulder has apparently stalled again, which means the Indians will continue to do what they've been doing for most of the season - play without one of their best players.

Brantley, who had surgery to repair a torn labrum in November, recently underwent a procedure to break up scar tissue along his right biceps tendon. It initially eased the discomfort in Brantley's swing that has limited him to 11 games this season, but apparently he still can't generate enough pain-free force with the bat to be effective.

The Indians' plans don't change much because of Brantley's latest setback. For about the last two months they've been playing with the idea that whatever they can get from him will be a bonus. They will continue to do so for the final 53 games of the season.

Still, in the long view of the season, offense hasn't been the Indians' problem. They rank second in the AL in runs scored behind Boston. In fact, until July the Indians have sailed on surprisingly smooth seas.

They're still in first place in the AL Central at 62-47 with a two-game lead over Detroit. While the Indians were off Monday, the Tigers played a late game against Seattle at Safeco Field.

On July 20, the Indians had a 7 1/2 games lead over the Tigers. They've gone 8-9 since then, while the Tigers have gone 12-4.

"I never thought we were going to run away and hide in this thing," said manager Terry Francona. "I wish it didn't happen, but I think it's unrealistic to think someone isn't going to make a run."

After the Indians acquired left-hander Andrew Miller from the Yankees on July 31, Francona held a team meeting to talk about the race ahead.

"No.1, when there are outside expectations - we really haven't had that here - I said that the way to come back at it is that (only) the expectations in or clubhouse are important," said Francona. "We expect a lot out of ourselves.

"So when you prepare and play the game the right way, that takes away all the anxiety of anything from the outside. The guys who have been through it know how much fun it is to be in a pennant race. And the guys who haven't will learn how much fun it is.

"This is what you work for. . .to get into this situation. To not enjoy it would be a big mistake."

The Indians big problem over the last month or so has been pitching. First the bullpen, then the rotation struggled. The shuttle between Cleveland and Class AAA Columbus has been running at high speed to help the pen. Danny Salazar's trip to the disabled list with a sore right elbow on Aug. 2 didn't help the rotation, but perhaps consecutive solid starts by Corey Kluber and Carlos Carrasco on Saturday and Sunday against the Yankees will help restore order in what has been one of the top rotations in baseball for much of the season.

The one spot in the lineup that has not been producing offensively has been catcher. The Indians tried to upgrade that with Jonathan Lucroy, but that didn't work. When Lucroy vetoed the trade, the Indians looked at the rest of the available catchers and decided to stay in-house with Roberto Perez and Chris Gimenez. They haven't hit a lot, but the Indians know they're focused on handling the pitching staff, controlling the running game and playing defense. The Indians weren't sure they could find the same qualities if they brought a catcher in from the outside.

The Indians have been watching the progress of third baseman/outfielder Yandy Diaz at Class AAA Columbus. They've been impressed, but the trade for Brandon Guyer from Tampa Bay gives them an experienced big league outfielder, who is hitting left-handers well. It also lets Francona play Jose Ramirez almost fulltime at third base.

Right now there isn't a need for Diaz, but that's not to say there won't be in the coming weeks, especially when the rosters expand on Sept. 1.

Monday was the 66th day this season that the Indians have been in first place in the Central. From here on out each day the Indians can stay there grows in importance.

"If someone asked me on March 15 if I would take being three games up on the Tigers in the loss column on Aug. 8, sure I would have said yes," said Chris Antonetti, Indians president of baseball operations. "That's the position we're in. It's exciting. Every game from here on out is going to be fun.

"Hopefully, we play well enough to earn a spot in the postseason, but we know it's not going to be an easy road."