The Brewers are set to welcome outfielder Garrett Mitchell again from the injured record tomorrow, as supervisor Pat Murphy instructed reporters (together with MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy) this afternoon. The Brewers are optioning infielder Tyler Black to the minor leagues to make room for Mitchell on the energetic roster, though they’ll nonetheless must clear a 40-man roster spot to accommodate his activation from the 60-day IL previous to tomorrow’s recreation in opposition to the Rockies in Colorado.
Mitchell, 25, has been sidelined for the whole 2024 marketing campaign so far, suffered a fractured finger on his left hand simply earlier than Opening Day again in March and has been sidelined ever since. The teen was Milwaukee’s 1st-round choice within the 2020 draft and made his large league debut again in 2022 with a late-season call-up the place he slashed a superb .311/.373/.459 with a wRC+ of 136 in 28 video games. He figured to enter the 2023 season with a robust grip on a beginning function in Milwaukee however was sidelined for almost all of the season by shoulder surgical procedure, which restricted him to only 73 journeys to the plate final yr.
Irritating as these setbacks have been for each the Brewers and Mitchell, the teen lastly seems poised to start influence the membership’s lineup on a extra common foundation. The previous top-100 prospect has carried out excellently in 11 video games on the Triple-A stage whereas rehabbing this yr, slashing an distinctive .310/.408/.643 in that point. Whereas he can hardly be anticipated to hold that form of slash line over to the majors, he might nonetheless present a shot within the arm for a Brewers membership that has slumped offensively in June. As a gaggle, Milwaukee hitters have slashed simply .245/.322/.347 with a 92 wRC+ over the past 30 days, simply twenty second within the majors and fourth from the underside within the Nationwide League. Thoe struggles have primarily been because of the absence of energy from the lineup, because the membership’s collective ISO of simply .102 is useless final within the large leagues this month, lagging practically 15 factors behind the Twenty ninth-place Marlins.
It appears doubtless that Mitchell will get a minimum of semi-regular at-bats upon his return to the lineup, though including him to the membership’s deep outfield combine will certainly require some creativity on the a part of Murphy. Franchise face Christian Yelich is bound to proceed getting on a regular basis taking part in time in left discipline and at DH, and it’s laborious to think about the Brewers reducing into high prospect Jackson Chourio’s taking part in time now that he’s lastly hitting his stride within the majors with a .318/.361/.546 slash line within the month of June. With each outfield corners accounted for, Mitchell’s return doubtless comes on the expense of some mixture of Blake Perkins, Sal Frelick, and Jake Bauers.
Perkins and Frelick have been splitting time in middle discipline this yr, although each gamers have been a contact beneath common on the plate this yr with Perkins struggling significantly badly in opposition to southpaws. When not taking Perkins’ place in middle discipline, Frelick has performed an outfield nook whereas Yelich strikes to DH, kicking slugger Rhys Hoskins again to his native place of first base and Bauers, who has posted an honest 106 wRC+ in a platoon function, to the bench. The return of Mitchell as one other lefty bat within the lineup could lead on Frelick to spend occasional time on the infield after working to make himself playable on the grime this spring whereas doubtlessly additionally ticketing Yelich for extra frequent DH appearances.
Heading out to Triple-A so as to make room for Mitchell is Black, who was a consensus top-100 prospect coming into this season. The nook infielder has appeared in simply 11 video games for the Brewers this yr however didn’t do a lot with the restricted alternative, slashing simply .242/.324/.303 in 37 journeys to the plate whereas splitting time between first base and DH. The 23-year-old figures to return to the minors, the place he’s slashed a superb .275/.375/.483 on the highest stage in 53 video games this yr, to attend for his subsequent alternative within the majors.
