The Brewers are set to welcome outfielder Garrett Mitchell back from the injured list tomorrow, as manager Pat Murphy told reporters (including 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 active roster, although they’ll still need to clear a 40-man roster spot to accommodate his activation from the 60-day IL prior to tomorrow’s game against the Rockies in Colorado.
Mitchell, 25, has been sidelined for the entire 2024 campaign to this point, suffered a fractured finger on his left hand just before Opening Day back in March and has been sidelined ever since. The youngster was Milwaukee’s 1st-round selection in the 2020 draft and made his big league debut back in 2022 with a late-season call-up where he slashed an excellent .311/.373/.459 with a wRC+ of 136 in 28 games. He figured to enter the 2023 season with a strong grip on a starting role in Milwaukee but was sidelined for the majority of the season by shoulder surgery, which limited him to just 73 trips to the plate last year.
Frustrating as those setbacks have been for both the Brewers and Mitchell, the youngster finally appears poised to begin impact the club’s lineup on a more regular basis. The former top-100 prospect has performed excellently in 11 games at the Triple-A level while rehabbing this year, slashing an exceptional .310/.408/.643 in that time. While he can hardly be expected to carry that sort of slash line over to the majors, he could nonetheless provide a shot in the arm for a Brewers club that has slumped offensively in June. As a group, Milwaukee hitters have slashed just .245/.322/.347 with a 92 wRC+ over the last 30 days, just 22nd in the majors and fourth from the bottom in the National League. Thoe struggles have primarily been due to the absence of power from the lineup, as the club’s collective ISO of just .102 is dead last in the big leagues this month, lagging nearly 15 points behind the 29th-place Marlins.
It seems likely that Mitchell will get at least semi-regular at-bats upon his return to the lineup, although adding him to the club’s deep outfield mix will surely require some creativity on the part of Murphy. Franchise face Christian Yelich is sure to continue getting everyday playing time in left field and at DH, and it’s hard to imagine the Brewers cutting into top prospect Jackson Chourio’s playing time now that he’s finally hitting his stride in the majors with a .318/.361/.546 slash line in the month of June. With both outfield corners accounted for, Mitchell’s return likely comes at the expense of some combination of Blake Perkins, Sal Frelick, and Jake Bauers.
Perkins and Frelick have been splitting time in center field this year, though both players have been a touch below average at the plate this year with Perkins struggling particularly badly against southpaws. When not taking Perkins’ place in center field, Frelick has played an outfield corner while Yelich moves to DH, kicking slugger Rhys Hoskins back to his native position of first base and Bauers, who has posted a decent 106 wRC+ in a platoon role, to the bench. The return of Mitchell as another lefty bat in the lineup could lead Frelick to spend occasional time on the infield after working to make himself playable on the dirt this spring while potentially also ticketing Yelich for more frequent DH appearances.
Heading out to Triple-A in order to make room for Mitchell is Black, who was a consensus top-100 prospect entering this season. The corner infielder has appeared in just 11 games for the Brewers this year but didn’t do much with the limited opportunity, slashing just .242/.324/.303 in 37 trips to the plate while splitting time between first base and DH. The 23-year-old figures to return to the minors, where he’s slashed an excellent .275/.375/.483 at the highest level in 53 games this year, to wait for his next opportunity in the majors.
Mitchell and Black to the Tigers for Flaherty and a BP arm.
Detroit would take in a second but no way the brewers would pay that much for a 2 month rental and a bp arm which are easy to obtain
Bad idea, keep Mitchell. Has way more pop than frelick
lol. Flaherty isn’t worth one of them let alone 2
Wait on it. I think you’ll be surprised at the return they get on Flaherty.
Isn’t that what everyone said about Matthew Boyd?
Lmao crickets on that one Detroit trying to trade him like he was a number 1 ace
They held onto Boyd which was one of many mistakes Avila made. But…Boyd was also a great team leader and did a lot of work in the community so some of those intangibles may have made him worth more to Detroit than other teams.
I hope the Brewers make a splash for some arms because their offense has been surprisingly effective this year. If not Flaherty someone else pitching well. It’s a sellers market for pitching.
“While he can hardly be expected to carry that sort of slash line over to the majors, he could nonetheless provide a shot in the arm for a Brewers club that has slumped offensively in June. As a group, Milwaukee hitters have slashed just .245/.322/.347 with a 92 wRC+ over the last 30 days, just 22nd in the majors and fourth from the bottom in the National League. Thoe struggles have primarily been due to the absence of power from the lineup, as the club’s collective ISO of just .102 is dead last in the big leagues this month, lagging nearly 15 points behind the 29th-place Marlins.”
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Can make any point with stats.
Brewers won today primarily due to their 5th grand slam homer (i.e. power) in June. Their record in June is 16-11 – a winning percentage of .592. That is inline with their winning percentage of .595 for the season, which has them in 1st place in the NLC by 6-1/2 games.
That position does need more slugging than what Frelick and Perkins can provide. Mitchell needs to show what he can do — if he can stay healthy — over the next month, or the Brewers might want to trade for a veteran who can help them in the postseason. Yelich’s buddy Bellinger might be available.
Chourio will get more playing time. Frelick/Mitchell and Yelich. They will be okay in OF. Let the youth continue getting experience. Look what it’s done for Brice Turang after last season? Chourio was at .202 BA and sits I think .244 after today.
This team is winning mainly because of athleticism (speed & defense). Yelich, Perkins/Mitchell, and Chourio would be the smart decisions. So, doubtful that happens based on recent Brewer history. Frelick is a 4th OF and NOT an infielder. Playing him in the IF would be typical MIlwaukee and foolish. Ortiz, Adames, Turang and better defensive 1B than Hoskins is a dynamic infield. Trade Hoskins and Weimer.
Why would that be “typical Milwaukee”?
Correction- Frelick is the 5th best OF for MKE
There’s been a mindset that’s hopefully changing in Milwaukee. See recent Brewer history. Basically same reasons Milwaukee “fans” keep or kept fawning over Frelick, Weimer, Dunn, Miller, Hoskins, acquiring Lux from LA or trading away Adames.
Better yet, why move Frelick to the infield? That’s simply Dunn, Miller, Black deja vu isn’t it? Why not trade Frelick instead? I say resign Adames, trade Hoskins, Weimer, Frelick, or Black for a SP, a solid 1B and maybe another useable arm.
“That position does need more slugging than what Frelick and Perkins can provide.”
JimOToole;
Why?
The power is spread around HR-wise from many players. The Brewers are 6th in the NL in HR’s.
Speed and defense wins. You have a problem with speed and defense in the OF?
The Brewers don’t have the budget to pay Bellinger. They not only have Frelick and Perkins for far less money, they have their rights at a reasonable salary for years to come. Gads, if you were to offer the Cubs one of those to guys for Bellinger even up, if the FO wouldn’t jump on it Cubs fans would ask them: “Why Not?”
I don’t think there is a “might” about it, the Cubs are playing horrible baseball and I don’t see them magically getting better at fundamentals either. It’s absolutely shocking to see a team that has 4 gold glovers on it as well as arguably the best defensive prospect in baseball look completely freaking lost in the field.
The Brewers are not going to bail the Cubs out of that Bellinger contract. Who would want to trade for him anyhow?
There was two guys I really wanted the Cubs to draft in the 2020 draft (that were realistic), Garrett Mitchell or Jordan Walker, instead they drafted Ed Howard, a high school player with no bat.