Milwaukee’s playoff countdown comes with a reassuring update on Joey Ortiz.
The Brewers have several days to sort things out before their five-game National League Division Series begins Oct. 3 against either the San Diego Padres or the Chicago Cubs, and Ortiz appears set to be part of that group. He said as much after getting checked out.
"Joey Ortiz on his status after yesterday’s MRI: 'I’ll be ready to go. I’m ready to play,'" Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel shared on X.
Ortiz last played on Sep. 25 and has been dealing with abdominal swelling and a bruised knee. He underwent an MRI, and Brewers manager Pat Murphy said the results came back "all good," according to MLB.com's Adam McCalvy on X.
"Joey Ortiz’s MRI results were 'all good,' per Pat Murphy. Some abdominal swelling they will monitor, and a bruised knee. He won’t play tomorrow but the outlook is good for the postseason," McCalvy wrote on X.
That’s welcome news for Milwaukee, which would be looking at a real surprise if Ortiz were not in the lineup when the series opens. That wasn’t always the case this season, though.
Early on, Ortiz was scuffling at the plate, and once Cooper Pratt was promoted, it looked like the rookie might take over. With Jett Williams down in the minors and able to handle third base, Ortiz seemed to be running out of runway.
Instead, he flipped the script after moving to third. Pratt debuted on June 16, and from June 17 on, Ortiz has hit .310/.348/.491 with an .840 OPS, eight home runs, 33 RBIs, nine doubles and four triples in 74 games. Before that turnaround, he was batting .207/.299/.262 in 60 games.
Milwaukee is going to want both sides of that version of Ortiz in October - the glove at third and the bat that finally came alive. For now, the Brewers can breathe a little easier. They’ve also got a few extra days to get ready after securing the No. 1 seed and finishing ahead of every other team in the 2026 regular season.
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Pitching was the backbone of the operation, from Thomas Pannones perfect game to the steady relief work of Cameron Wagoner and Blake Holub, while Brock Wilken supplied the most obvious power source by leading the club in home runs and RBIs. For Milwaukee, the more interesting takeaway is what Nashville may have clarified about the next wave, because the affiliates season did not just collect innings and at-bats, it helped sort out who was really forcing the issue. [Read more 🡒]