'Only his body will tell': No news on when Houston Astros' Brantley could return

With the MLB playoffs just around the corner, Houston manager Dusty Baker is admitting what no Astros fan wants to hear.

“It’s going to take a little bit longer than we thought or we had hoped,” Baker told the Houston Chronicle. “I don’t know, man. You’re asking me questions that I don’t know. Only his body will tell.”

Left fielder Michael Brantley has been out since being removed with knee soreness in the fourth inning of the Astros' Sept. 11, 4-2 loss against the Angels. Hours later, the team placed him on the injured list.

The Astros (91-64) lead the Seattle Mariners by six games following back-to-back road losses to the Oakland. For the month of September, the Astros are now 13-10 and their 83-45 record for the month over the last five years represents the top in baseball.

The Astros have split playing time in left field since the team’s most heralded free-agent signee went down, with Chas McCormick, Yordan Alvarez and Jose Siri all making at least two start.

Baker did not have a definitive timeline for when Brantley, owner of the AL’s third highest batting average at .315, might return.