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The NL-Central champion Milwaukee Brewers can not afford any missteps with the postseason just days away. After a scary incident during Friday's 8-4 win over the postseason-hopeful New York Mets on Friday, they could be without one of their most important players for a significant amount of time.
Brewers outfielder Sal Frelick crashed into the right field wall and had to leave the game after trying to make a spectacular catch on a foul ball in the third inning. After the game, manager Pat Murphy confirmed that X-rays on Frelick's left hip had come back negative, but that he would have an MRI on Saturday to confirm that there is no structural damage to Adam McCalvy of MLB.com.
“I feel horrible for the young man, first and foremost, and it hurts our team because he's a Gold Glove outfielder and he's just a winning player,” Murphy said. “He's a huge part of this thing, and that'll be a big blow if he can't play, which, you have to lean towards that right now.”
If Frelick has to miss time, expect Garrett Mitchell, who came in for Frelick after he injured his hip, to get the majority of opportunities in right field.
What Sal Frelick means to the Milwaukee Brewers
Despite not being one of the more well-known names on the Brewers, Frelick has been one of the team's unsung heroes this season after a historic start to his career last season.
Even though the 24-year-old Frelick has not shown a lot of power so far in his career, with just two home runs in 2024, he has still provided a steady presence at the plate and found ways to get on base. He is hitting .259 and has stolen 18 bases. One of Frelick's most valuable traits is his ability to hit both left-handed and right-handed pitching. He has a .263 batting average versus righties, and a .241 batting average versus lefties, which allows the Brewers to keep him in the lineup every day no matter the matchup.
A Gold Glove-caliber defender in right field, Frelick can also play elite defense at all three outfield positions if needed.
The best case scenario for the Brewers would be for Frelick's MRI to come back clean. Then, Frelick can rest up and make sure that he is ready for their Wild Card round matchup Tuesday. However, if the issue is more serious, then the Brewers may need to be ready to go without their young right fielder.
