Indians' Michael Brantley activated from DL; under consideration for ALDS

CLEVELAND -- Indians outfielder Michael Brantley was activated Saturday from the disabled list, and manager Terry Francona is considering placing him on Cleveland's roster for the AL Division Series.

Brantley had been sidelined since Aug. 9 with a sprained right ankle. The two-time All-Star pinch-hit in the fifth inning against the Chicago White Sox and singled sharply off right-hander Carson Fulmer.

"I just want to make sure that we're not putting him in a spot that isn't right, so we're going to talk for a little bit," Francona said before the game. "He's tried so hard to come back, and believe me, we appreciate what he's trying to do. I just want to talk to him at length because he's got a career ahead of himself."

Earlier in the day, Cleveland clinched the top record in the AL when Houston lost to Boston. It will play the winner of the wild-card game between the Yankees and Twins.

The 30-year-old Brantley is hitting .301 with nine homers, 52 RBI and 11 stolen bases in 89 games. He missed the postseason last year -- and Cleveland's dramatic run to the World Series -- after undergoing right shoulder surgery.

"It's not going to hurt anything by activating him at this point," Francona said. "But if he's going to get in a game, we had to do it. So, we activated him, but the next step is I really want to visit with him."