Brewers Place Sal Frelick On 10-Day Injured List
The Brewers announced that outfielder Sal Frelick has been placed on the 10-day injured list due to a right shoulder strain. Outfielder Blake Perkins was called up from Triple-A to take Frelick’s place on the 26-man roster.
Manager Pat Murphy implied yesterday that an IL stint was coming for Frelick after his early exit from Friday’s 2-1 win over the Marlins. Murphy said Frelick hurt his shoulder while making a throw from right field in the top of the fourth inning, and Luis Lara replaced Frelick in the field in the top of the fifth.
Speaking with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Todd Rosiak and other reporters today, Frelick said he has been battling shoulder soreness for around two months, and a past scan revealed nothing more than inflammation. The discomfort was just limited to throwing until the last couple of weeks, when Frelick said “I started feeling it swinging, not as bad as throwing but it was creeping in there.” Four days of rest over the All-Star break didn’t help, and Frelick said that on Friday, his arm felt “pretty dead.”
Playing through pain could explain Frelick’s significant declines in both his offense and defense from 2025. After hitting .288/.351/.405 over 594 plate appearances last year, Frelick has slumped to a .236/.301/.330 slash line in 313 PA this season. A Gold Glove winner in 2024 and a finalist again last season, Frelick’s 677 2/3 innings in right field this year have resulted in much more middling grades (+1 Outs Above Average and a -1 Defensive Runs Saved). It all added up to a sub-replacement -0.2 fWAR for Frelick over 90 games this season, after he posted +3.6 fWAR in 2025.
Milwaukee could now look to add an outfielder at the trade deadline if Frelick is still out of action or if the team simply wants an upgrade. Top prospect Lara is also a natural candidate to get more playing time, and Jake Bauers has seen some time in right field when he hasn’t been used as a first baseman, left fielder, or DH. Perkins is a glove-first backup type who is probably more suited as a fourth outfielder than a regular part of a platoon.
Brewers Promote Luis Lara
10:00am: The Brewers have made it official. Lara is up from Nashville for his major league debut. The team has not placed Hamilton on the injured list, however. They’ve instead optioned outfielder Blake Perkins to Nashville to open a spot for Lara. Milwaukee also named lefty Robert Gasser the 27th man for today’s doubleheader.
Perkins, 29, has been a heavily used fourth outfielder for the Brewers dating back to 2023. He’s always been a glove-first option, but this year’s .157/.250/.258 slash is significantly down from his already light .232/.314/.349 slash from ’23-’25.
9:33am: McCalvy reports that a Lara promotion hasn’t been officially settled on just yet. The Brewers are awaiting results on Hamilton’s MRI before making a final decision. There are “several players in motion this morning,” McCalvy adds, suggesting a series of possible moves ahead of today’s twin bill with the Cardinals.
8:22am: The Brewers are calling up top prospect Luis Lara, reports Daniel Alvarez Montes of El Extra Base. Milwaukee recently extended Lara on a seven-year, $31MM deal before he even made his big league debut. The 21-year-old outfielder was formally selected to the 40-man roster and optioned upon signing that deal. He’ll now be recalled for his big league debut. The Brewers will need to open an active roster spot to accommodate him. Manager Pat Murphy suggested last night that infielder David Hamilton could be IL-bound (via MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy).
Despite his youth, Lara has laid waste to Triple-A pitching this season. The Venezuelan-born speedster is hitting .321/.432/.470 with nine home runs, 10 doubles, three triples, 24 stolen bases (in 31 tries), and more walks (15.6%) than strikeouts (13.9%).
Baseball America currently ranks Lara as the game’s No. 47 overall prospect. He’s 67th at MLB.com. Scouting reports will often list concerns surrounding Lara’s 5’7″ frame, but he’s touted as a plus-plus runner and center field defender with above-average bat-to-ball skills and good strike zone knowledge. Lara hasn’t hit for much power in the past, but he’s cut back his ground-ball rate by a few percentage points this season (48.1%) and has already connected on a career-high nine home runs. For a player who entered the season with only 10 professional homers, dating back to his 2022 debut in pro ball, that’s a significant development.
Lara’s speed, defense, contact skills and plate discipline already gave him a high floor. If he can sustain his more recent power gains, there’s star potential for the young switch-hitter.
The exact role for Lara remains to be seen. He’s played exclusively in the outfield in his professional career, and the Brewers’ big league trio of Jackson Chourio, Garrett Mitchell and Sal Frelick have all provided value to the club.
Perhaps it’ll simply be a quick one-day addition as the Brewers’ 27th man for today’s doubleheader. It’s always possible there’s a yet-unknown injury within that outfield trio and that the Brewers will need to replace both an outfielder and Hamilton. More speculatively, Milwaukee has tinkered with the possibility of getting Frelick some looks at third base in the past. He’s an elite right field defender, but Brewers brass may feel that replacing him with another elite glove, Lara, makes the Frelick-to-third-base experiment easier to try out on the fly. Frelick has played five major league innings at the position and has worked out as an infielder during spring training in the past.
The 28-year-old Hamilton exited last night’s game due to a hamstring issue. He’s appeared in 74 games this year and posted a .240/.317/.333 batting line in 238 trips to the plate. Hamilton has three homers and has swiped 18 bases in 23 attempts. The Brewers have shuffled him around the infield this season, but he’s been splitting time at third base with Joey Ortiz since Milwaukee called up shortstop Cooper Pratt — another top prospect they extended before a single game in the majors — to take over at shortstop.
Hamilton has graded out particularly well at the hot corner, as has Ortiz. Neither one brings much of anything to the table offensively, however, and Pratt has struggled quite a bit at the plate himself. Even if the plan is actually to try Frelick at the hot corner with Lara taking an outfield spot, Frelick is having a down season (.242/.311/.332) on the heels of last year’s breakout performance (.288/.351/.405). Regardless of how long Hamilton is shelved and how long Lara is in the big leagues, one would imagine the Milwaukee front office will be exploring the market for some upgrades on the left side of the infield over the next four weeks.
NL Central Notes: Woodruff, Lockridge, Suarez, Lowder
Brewers right-hander Brandon Woodruff was back with the club for a series against the Yankees after having fluid removed from his shoulder. He’ll play catch this weekend as he nears a return to the mound, relays Adam McCalvy of MLB.com.
Woodruff’s progression is encouraging, considering how he looked in his most recent outing. The veteran was removed after just six batters during an April 30 start against the Diamondbacks. His fastball was down more than 7 mph. Woodruff was soon placed on the injured list with shoulder inflammation.
The 33-year-old Woodruff has dealt with shoulder and lat injuries for the past three years. He missed all of 2024 due to shoulder surgery. Even before the outing against Arizona, Woodruff’s velocity was down slightly from last season. He’s several years removed from averaging mid-90s with the heater.
Despite operating at a lower velocity, Woodruff has been effective. He’s working with three fastballs these days, adding a cutter to his four-seamer and sinker. The veteran is throwing his changeup more than ever. Woodruff delivered a 3.20 ERA with a career-best 32.3% strikeout rate in a dozen starts last year. The strikeouts are down this season, but he has a solid 3.60 ERA through 30 innings.
Here’s more from around the division…
- Brewers outfielder Brandon Lockridge seems to have escaped serious injury after crashing into the wall on Friday against the Yankees. He was carted off the field and needed nine stitches to address a deep cut near his knee. Lockridge was back in the clubhouse on Saturday and hopes to return after close to a minimum stint on the IL, per McCalvy. Manager Pat Murphy was less optimistic, expecting the outfielder to miss at least a month. Blake Perkins was recalled to take Lockridge’s spot on the roster.
- Reds third baseman Eugenio Suarez took 50 swings on Thursday as he works his way back from a strained oblique, relays FOX 19’s Charlie Goldsmith. The veteran infielder hasn’t played since April 22. Suarez was off to a difficult start in his second stint with Cincinnati, slashing .231/.300/.363 across 100 plate appearances. After matching a career high with 49 home runs in 2025, he’s left the yard just three times this year.
- Also from Goldsmith, Reds right-hander Rhett Lowder isn’t dealing with any structural damage in his shoulder. He received an injection and could throw a bullpen on Sunday. Lowder left after three innings on Thursday against the Cubs. He hasn’t been placed on the IL yet. Cincinnati got lefty Nick Lodolo back on Friday. He took the spot of right-hander Chase Petty, who is scheduled to start at Triple-A on Sunday.
Photo courtesy of Benny Sieu, Imagn Images
Brewers Place Jackson Chourio On IL Due To Fractured Hand
Opening Day arrives on a sour note for the Brewers, who announced this morning that star outfielder Jackson Chourio has been placed on the 10-day injured list due to a fracture in his left hand. Outfielder Blake Perkins is up from Triple-A Nashville to take his spot on the active roster. The early estimate for his return to game action is two to four weeks, per Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, who adds that a recent MRI detected a hairline fracture at the base of his third metacarpal. It’s believed that the injury dates back to a March 4 exhibition ahead of the World Baseball Classic.
Chourio went for imaging at the time he was plunked by that pitch, but initial testing resulted in a diagnosis of a contusion. He played, presumably through a good bit of discomfort, for Venezuela during the WBC and for Milwaukee following the tournament and wound up delivering a solid spring line during Cactus League play (.267/.333/.400).
Milwaukee has five off-days in the next month, so it’s possible Chourio only winds up sidelined for around 10% of the team’s 162 games. Even a short-term absence from one of the roster’s most talented players stings, however, particularly in what most expect to be a tightly contested division.
Though Chourio is only 22 years old, he’s already entering his third big league season. He’s a .272/.317/.463 hitter (115 wRC+) through his first 279 major league games and has coupled that above-average production with plus baserunning and quality outfield defense. Chourio is better suited for corner work than center field, but he’s capable in all three spots and played primarily center last season. A healthy Garrett Mitchell could push him to the corners with more regularly this season, but for now his focus will shift to rehabbing his ailing hand.
With Chourio out, the Brewers’ outfield mix now includes Perkins, Mitchell, Sal Frelick, Christian Yelich, Jake Bauers and Brandon Lockridge. Frelick, one of the game’s top defensive players, will be locked into right field on a daily basis. Mitchell should handle center against right-handed pitching at the very least, and the switch-hitting Perkins is much better from the right side of the dish, making him a natural platoon pairing in center. The left-handed Bauers and righty-swinging Lockridge create a viable platoon in left field. Yelich can mix in some left field work but has been primarily a designated hitter in recent seasons.
That’s a tenable enough setup for the short term, but the Chourio injury already puts a strain on Milwaukee’s outfield depth. All of the outfielders on the Brewers’ 40-man roster are now in the majors. Milwaukee has begun getting former top prospect Tyler Black, a corner infielder, some reps in the outfield corners and could turn to him in the event of another injury. Current top prospect Jett Williams has plenty of outfield experience should the need arise, though he’s not yet on the 40-man.
Brewers Option Logan Henderson, Blake Perkins
TODAY: Lockridge and Sproat have been told they’re making the Opening Day roster, as per Adam McCalvy.
MARCH 19: The Brewers made a few camp cuts on Thursday. Starter Logan Henderson, outfielder Blake Perkins, and corner bat Tyler Black were all sent out and will open the season with Triple-A Nashville.
Two weeks ago, Henderson had seemingly been well positioned for a spot in the Opening Day rotation. There are at least two jobs up for grabs after the Freddy Peralta trade and with Quinn Priester beginning the season on the injured list. The Brewers have rotation roles committed to Jacob Misiorowski, Chad Patrick and (assuming he’s fully built up) Brandon Woodruff.
The 24-year-old Henderson was firmly in the mix after impressing over his first five MLB starts a year ago. His odds of breaking camp were set back when he reported minor elbow soreness last week. Henderson had finished the 2025 season on the injured list with elbow inflammation. The team didn’t consider this recent flareup especially alarming — he’s already throwing again — but he hasn’t appeared in a Spring Training game in two weeks.
Skipper Pat Murphy indicated the demotion is largely about giving Henderson a chance to build his workload in the minors. “Part of this move is to make sure he can go post regularly,” Murphy told reporters (link via Adam McCalvy of MLB.com). “We’re not going to immediately build him up to five innings. We’re going to let him go two innings and see how he responds, two innings and see how he responds. Just make sure he’s responding each time because he’s had (an injury) history.”
This probably paves the way for Brandon Sproat and Kyle Harrison to round out the rotation. Harrison left yesterday’s appearance with a blister, but it’s not expected to be an issue moving forward. Robert Gasser and Shane Drohan are also still in the mix, with Drohan having the far more impressive camp of those two.
Acquired from the Red Sox in the Caleb Durbin trade, Harrison has allowed 12 runs (eight earned) across 9 2/3 spring innings. That’s obviously not ideal, but he has struck out 15 opponents while averaging 95 mph on his fastball. Sproat came over from the Mets as part of the Peralta return. He has allowed five runs with a 10:2 strikeout-to-walk ratio over nine innings.
In any case, the Brewers will lean heavily on their bullpen while frequently shuttling starters up and down from Nashville. There’s more clarity on the position player side, which is down to 14 a week before Opening Day. The final camp cut will almost certainly be third catcher Reese McGuire, a non-roster invitee.
McCalvy notes that the Perkins option means Brandon Lockridge is heading north with the club. The speedster won the fourth outfield role by hitting .314 with four homers and three steals in 12 games this spring. He’ll join Gary Sánchez, Jake Bauers and utility infielder David Hamilton on the season-opening bench.
Brewers Open To Trading From Outfield Depth
The Brewers are exploring trades involving their depth outfielders, report Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon of The Athletic. The report lists Isaac Collins and Blake Perkins as the two likeliest candidates to move.
Jackson Chourio certainly isn’t going anywhere. Christian Yelich is owed $84.5MM over the next three seasons (including a 2029 option buyout), so they’re unlikely to line up any kind of trade there. There’d be significant interest in Sal Frelick, but Milwaukee is unlikely to move him when he’s under club control for another four seasons. Frelick and Chourio should have two outfield spots secure, while Yelich is ticketed for primary DH work with occasional left field playing time.
That leaves one opening for a handful of players. Collins, Perkins and former first-round pick Garrett Mitchell would battle for playing time if they’re all on the roster. The Brewers have speedster Brandon Lockridge as a fifth outfielder and took a flier on Akil Baddoo on a split contract. They all have minor league options, so it’s not necessary to force a trade. There’s enough depth that they’re willing to move someone for help elsewhere on the roster. Rosenthal and Sammon write that Milwaukee could target a relief pitcher with minor league options who’d provide additional flexibility for a team that leans heavily on its bullpen.
Collins is coming off a breakout season in which he finished fourth in NL Rookie of the Year voting. The switch-hitting Collins batted .263/.368/.411 across 441 trips to the plate. He hit 22 doubles, three triples, and nine home runs. Collins stole 16 bases and walked at a 13% clip. He was Milwaukee’s primary left fielder and graded as a solid defender in a little over 800 innings.
That season was worth between two and three wins above replacement. Collins is under club control for five seasons and won’t qualify for arbitration for two more years. It’s fair to wonder whether he’ll be able to repeat that kind of season. Collins is already 28 and didn’t have particularly strong batted ball metrics. It’s a bit of a tweener profile since he’s not really an option to play center field. Yet the disciplined approach, contact skills, and solid glove in the corner should provide a reasonably high floor.
Perkins, 29, is a prototypical fourth outfielder. He’s a switch-hitter who has a middling .232/.314/.339 batting line in 773 career plate appearances. Perkins runs well and plays a plus center field. He also takes a lot of pitches and works a decent number of walks, albeit with more swing-and-miss than Collins has to his game. Perkins fell a little shy of the Super Two cutoff and will play next season for around the league minimum. He’ll be eligible for arbitration in 2027 and is under club control for four seasons.
Collins is probably the better all-around player, yet Perkins might hold broader appeal on the trade market. There are plenty of teams in need of center fielders and few options available in free agency. It’s unlikely many clubs would view Perkins as a regular, but teams like the Guardians, Angels and Giants should look for defensive upgrades up the middle.
A lot could depend on how the Brewers feel about Mitchell. He’s going into his age-27 season and still unproven at the MLB level. Mitchell is a fantastic athlete with plus speed, power and arm strength. He has the physical tools to be an impact center fielder. There’s also significant hit tool and health risk. Mitchell has punched out in more than a third of his 443 career plate appearances. He has gone on the 60-day injured list in three consecutive seasons: left shoulder surgery in 2023, a broken hand in ’24, an oblique strain and renewed shoulder pain this year. He underwent a second shoulder surgery in June and missed the rest of the season.
Mitchell is expected to be ready for Spring Training. If the Brewers remain confident that he’s their long-term answer in center field, that’d push Frelick and Chourio into the corners. Collins would make sense as the odd man out in that case because he’s stretched in center (though he has plenty of minor league second/third base experience). If they have more trepidation about Mitchell, they could pencil Frelick in as the center fielder with Collins back in left. That’d leave Mitchell and Perkins competing for playing time as the fourth outfielder with the latter potentially on the trade block.
Brewers Designate Drew Avans For Assignment
The Brewers announced a trio of roster moves, including the news that outfielder Drew Avans has been designated for assignment. The DFA opens up a 40-man roster spot for Blake Perkins, who was returned from his minor league rehab assignment and optioned to Triple-A Nashville, after spending the entire season on the injured list. Right-hander Easton McGee was also optioned to Triple-A.
It was a little over a month ago that the Athletics designated Avans, which led to the Brewers obtaining the outfielder via waiver claim. Avans made his Major League debut in the form of seven games with the A’s this season, and his time in the Brewers organization has mostly been spent in Nashville, apart from a lone appearance on Milwaukee’s active roster back on June 15. Over 18 plate appearances at the big league level, Avans has two singles and only a .229 OPS.
The 29-year-old Avans has posted much more solid numbers during a minor league career that began when the Dodgers took him in the 33rd round of the 2018 draft. Avans had played only in the L.A. farm system before joining the A’s on a minors deal this past offseason, and he has a .275/.374/.408 slash line, 37 home runs, and 145 stolen bases over 2328 career PA at the Triple-A level.
Between his speed, decent hitting numbers, and an ability to play all three outfield positions, Avans could very well get claimed again by another club in need of outfield depth. If he clears waivers, he isn’t eligible to elect free agency, so the Brewers could either release Avans or just outright him off the 40-man roster and send him to Triple-A Nashville.
Perkins fouled a ball off himself during a Spring Training batting practice session back in February, resulting in a shin fracture that has cost the outfielder the entire 2025 campaign. He started his minor league rehab assignment on June 14 but was set back by a minor groin injury in early July that cost him about a week of action. Since his 30-day rehab window was up, Milwaukee had to make a decision on his status, and optioning Perkins to Triple-A allows him to keep playing throughout the All-Star break.
It is possible Perkins might be in line for his 2025 debut relatively soon, depending on Sal Frelick‘s health. Frelick is slated to undergo an MRI after the outfielder made an early exit from today’s game due to hamstring soreness. Emerging as Milwaukee’s everyday right fielder this season, Frelick has hit .294/.354/.404 with seven homers and 17 steals over 385 PA, while also delivering outstanding defense. Losing Frelick would be a blow to the Brewers’ playoff push, but the All-Star break will allow Frelick four days to rest up and hopefully avoid the IL.
Brewers Select Daz Cameron, Place Garrett Mitchell On 10-Day IL
TODAY: As expected, the Brewers officially selected Cameron’s contract and placed Mitchell on the 10-day IL due to a left oblique strain. Outfielder Blake Perkins (who has yet to place this season due to a shin fracture) was shifted to the 60-day injured list to create space for Cameron the 40-man roster.
APRIL 25: The Brewers intend to select Daz Cameron onto the major league roster, reports Francys Romero. Milwaukee had acquired him from the Orioles for lefty reliever Grant Wolfram a few weeks ago. They’ll need to create a 40-man roster spot to finalize the promotion.
That seems to be tied to Garrett Mitchell’s status. Milwaukee’s center fielder departed tonight’s loss in St. Louis after experiencing tightness in his left side. Manager Pat Murphy told reporters (including Todd Rosiak of The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel) that Mitchell will go for an MRI on Saturday. Any kind of oblique strain would lead to an injured list placement.
While the injury opened an outfield spot, Cameron has certainly earned the call. He has been on fire at Triple-A Nashville since the trade. Cameron has connected on five homers while hitting .372 in 10 games. The former supplemental pick and top prospect has a career .253/.341/.436 batting line over seven minor league campaigns.
Cameron has yet to find much success against big league competition. He’s a .201/.263/.330 hitter with 10 homers through 430 major league plate appearances. The 28-year-old appeared in a personal-high 66 games with the A’s a year ago. He hit .200 while striking out at an elevated 27.4% rate. Cameron can play all three outfield spots and provide some right-handed power off the bench.
Switch-hitting Isaac Collins replaced Mitchell in center field after the injury. He has hit .163 with a near-35% strikeout rate over 46 major league plate appearances. Collins had a strong year in Nashville in 2024, batting .273/.386/.475 with 14 longballs and 24 stolen bases. An extended absence for Mitchell could open up his first real opportunity for regular playing time. Milwaukee could also slide Sal Frelick over to center field if they’re comfortable with Christian Yelich taking regular work in left field. They’ve been cautious with Yelich’s defensive workload so far. He has made 20 starts at designated hitter and only five in the outfield.
Brewers’ Blake Perkins Sidelined Through April Due To Shin Fracture
Brewers outfielder Blake Perkins sustained a fracture in his right shin after fouling a ball off himself during batting practice, manager Pat Murphy told MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy and other reporters. Perkins will miss the next 3-4 weeks in recovery, and Murphy pointed to May as a best-case scenario for Perkins’ return to the big league roster.
It’s a tough setback for the 28-year-old Perkins, who has established himself as a superb defensive player over his two MLB seasons (both with Milwaukee). Perkins was a Gold Glove finalist in the NL center fielder category in 2024 after posting a +7.7 UZR/150, +10 Outs Above Average, and +8 Defensive Runs Saved over 956 1/3 innings up the middle for the Brewers. He also put his elite speed to good use on the basepaths, swiping 23 bases in 28 attempts.
The stolen bases were Perkins’ chief offensive contribution, as he hit only .240/.316/.332 over 434 plate appearances. This essentially matches his career line over 602 total PA at the big league level, translating to an 85 wRC+. While not ideal, the switch-hitting Perkins at least had a decent .271 average against left-handed pitching last season, making him a solid platoon partner for the left-handed hitting Garrett Mitchell in center field heading into 2025.
With Perkins out through April, the newly-signed Manuel Margot now looks to step right as Milwaukee’s top backup outfielder. Jackson Chourio will play every day in right field, and Margot (a right-handed bat) could spell either Mitchell or Sal Frelick in left field. Christian Yelich figures to see some time in left field but will probably get more DH time in his return from back surgery.
Isaac Collins, Brewer Hicklen, and Jared Oliva are other outfield options further down the depth chart, but the Margot signing indicates that Milwaukee wanted more of an experienced hand to fill in since Perkins is facing a fairly lengthy absence. It also wouldn’t be surprising to see the Brewers add another outfielder at some point this spring, either from the current free agent class or maybe later in March once other teams start making roster cuts.
Brewers Notes: Outfield, Gasser, Clarke
The outfield mix in Milwaukee took a major hit earlier this week when the Brewers announced that center fielder Garrett Mitchell will open the season on the shelf due to a hand fracture. Mitchell, who the club selected 20th overall in the 2020 draft, was expected to be the club’s regular starter in center to open the season but now is ticketed for what could be an extended absence, his second in as many years after shoulder surgery wiped out the majority of his 2023 campaign.
Franchise face Christian Yelich and top prospect Jackson Chourio were slated to handle the outfield corners when it appeared that Michell would be the club’s starting center fielder, and Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel relays that, per manager Pat Murphy, that’s still the plan. Chourio, 20, has made the overwhelming majority of his outfield appearances in center during his time in the minors and has just eight games of minor league experience in right field, but Murphy confirmed that the club will not change course and move Chourio to center while Mitchell is on the shelf. Instead, Murphy suggests (as relayed by Rosiak) that the Brewers will rely on a platoon featuring Sal Frelick and Blake Perkins in center while Mitchell is unavailable, with Frelick getting the lion’s share of playing time against right-handers while Perkins starts against southpaws.
Both Frelick, 24 in April, and Perkins, 27, made their big league debuts with Milwaukee last season and held their own in limited action with the club. The switch-hitting Perkins appeared in 67 games with the club while splitting time between all three outfield spots and slashed a decent .217/.325/.350 (88 wRC+) in 168 trips to the plate. Meanwhile, Frelick drew 223 plate appearances across 57 games with the Brewers and slashed .246/.341/.351 (92 wRC+) during that time while also going a solid 7-for-7 on the basepaths. The youngster took reps at third base this winter to create a possible path to additional playing time outside of the club’s crowded outfield, though it appears those plans are on hold in the wake of Mitchell’s injury.
The plan to platoon the two youngsters makes plenty of sense for Frelick, who posted a paltry 59 wRC+ against southpaws last year. With that being said, Perkins is somewhat of an odd choice for a platoon partner as he also struggled against southpaws last year with a 65 wRC+ from the right-handed side of the batters’ box in the majors. Should Perkins struggle in the role to open the season, it wouldn’t be a shock to see the club pivot to Joey Wiemer as Frelick’s platoon partner in center, as the 25-year-old played strong defense in the outfield last year and batted an impressive .267/.298/.517 in 121 trips to the plate against lefties last year. For now, however, Wiemer is ticketed to begin the season at Triple-A as the club’s primary depth option in the outfield.
Along with his comments on the outfield, Murphy also discussed injuries sustained by a pair of organization’s pitchers. Rosiak relays that right-hander Taylor Clarke is set to undergo meniscus surgery on his right knee, while lefty Robert Gasser will open the season on the injured list due to a bone spur in his left elbow. Clarke, 31 in May, was already expected to open the 2024 campaign on the shelf due to the injury but now faces a significantly longer absence, though no timetable for his return was discussed by Murphy. The right-hander came over to the Brewers in a trade with the Royals back in December on the heels of a difficult 2023 season in Kansas City that saw him post a 5.95 ERA and 5.07 FIP in 58 appearances.
As for Gasser, the left-hander has yet to make his major league debut but was a key component in the trade that sent Josh Hader to the Padres at the 2022 trade deadline. His first full season in Milwaukee went quite well as he pitched to a 3.79 ERA in 135 1/3 innings as a member of the club’s Triple-A rotation, striking out an impressive 28% of batters faced along the way. An intriguing talent that Baseball America placed 98th on their preseason top 100 prospects list this year, Gasser figures to contribute to the club’s rotation at some point this season, but his big league debut will have to wait until he’s healthy. Fortunately, Rosiak notes that the Brewers are currently expecting Gasser’s absence to be a matter of weeks, suggesting that he could still have plenty of time to impact the big league club later in the year if he manages to maintain his performance from last season.