The Milwaukee Brewers took another hit Tuesday night, and this one landed in a spot they can’t really afford.
Brice Turang left the game with a sprained thumb during Milwaukee’s 11-2 loss to the San Diego Padres, according to MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy on X. Pat Murphy summed up the timing with a blunt line: "Might not be the best time," Pat Murphy said.
Turang was in an unusual role against San Diego, starting at shortstop for only the 11th time in his career and for the first time since 2023. That setup was already a product of the Brewers’ injury situation, with young shortstop Cooper Pratt on the Injured List.
Turang finished 1-for-5 before the thumb issue became the bigger story. And for Milwaukee, it’s a problem because he has been one of the most reliable bats in the lineup all season. He leads the club with 5.2 wins above replacement, with Jacob Misiorowski next at 4.7.
The Brewers are already stretched in the infield, which is why Jihwan Bae has recently been getting starts after joining the team. Bae has appeared in just 165 major league games, including 13 last year with the Pittsburgh Pirates and 29 the year before.
If Turang has to miss time, Milwaukee would likely lean even harder on Bae, along with David Hamilton and Joey Ortiz. The Brewers could also look for more help from the minors, where Luke Adams or Andrew Fischer could be options at third base, which would allow Ortiz to shift back to shortstop.
The injury comes at a time when the Brewers are still in a strong position overall. Milwaukee sits at 74-46 and leads the National League Central, but the Chicago Cubs are four games behind and making up ground.
The best outcome for the Brewers would be Turang avoiding a lengthy absence. The worst would be losing him for a while during the playoff push.
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