The Brewers have already done plenty of damage without their starting middle infield, and now they’re getting close to having the group back together.
Milwaukee beat the Dodgers in three of four games in Los Angeles despite being without rookie shortstop Cooper Pratt and second baseman Brice Turang, a pretty striking result considering the opponent. The absences didn’t stop there, either. Sal Frelick remains on the injured list with a right shoulder strain, and Abner Uribe is on the IL with a forearm strain after getting hurt on the West Coast trip.
Even with that injury pileup, the Brewers sound like they’re nearing a healthier stretch. Frelick did not come off the injured list before tonight’s opener against the Seattle Mariners, but manager Pat Murphy indicated the outfielder is getting closer.
“Sal needs to play a little bit more. We gotta make sure that after he has an aggressive day of throwing he feels fine.”
Murphy said Frelick felt soreness in his shoulder after his first day back throwing at full strength, but he came out of a Sunday fielding session with the Nashville Sounds feeling good. Frelick is scheduled to continue his rehab assignment on Wednesday after working out with the team on Tuesday.
The bigger immediate boost is already here with Turang back in the lineup tonight. He’ll hit leadoff as Milwaukee opens its homestand against Bryce Miller and the Mariners, and Murphy made it clear the Brewers will need to be careful with how they handle him after the team just finished a brutal 17 games in 17 days.
“It’s something we gotta manage. We gotta manage his workload...manage his pre-games.
He’s a tireless worker pre-game. He’s like old school pregame, every BP, every ground ball session, extra BP (batting practice), extra [swings] in the cage.”
Pratt could be next. Murphy said the rookie shortstop could be back as early as tomorrow night, depending on how his rehab start goes with the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers. Pratt is set to play 5-7 innings tonight, and Murphy said the door is open if he comes through it cleanly.
“If he feels it at all, there will be more games,” Murphy said. “He was tested a bunch during the week in LA, so we think we could see him back as early as tomorrow.”
Pratt was expected to be out only briefly after landing on the 10-day injured list with a hamstring strain, so a Wednesday return would line up with the minimum stay. Turang’s return doesn’t require a roster move because he was never placed on the IL, but Milwaukee will need to clear a spot for Pratt. Jonathan Ornelas is expected to be designated for assignment, though the Brewers could still try to keep him in the organization if he gets through waivers.
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