The Milwaukee Brewers’ 22-0 demolition of the Seattle Mariners on Tuesday night came with one notable concern afterward: Joey Ortiz is dealing with a twisted ankle, and Pat Murphy said the club may need to keep a close eye on him moving forward, according to David Gasper of Brewers Daily.
That’s a jolt of bad news on a night when just about everything else went Milwaukee’s way. The Brewers piled up 13 runs before Seattle even turned to a position player on the mound, and then added nine more after that in one of the biggest blowouts in MLB history. Eleven of the 12 Brewers hitters who came to the plate got at least one hit, and seven collected multiple knocks.
Ortiz was part of that surge, going 2-4 with three runs scored and a walk. The good news for Milwaukee is that he finished the game, though it isn’t clear exactly when the ankle issue cropped up.
The timing matters because the Brewers have already had to lean on Ortiz after Cooper Pratt went on the injured list earlier this month with a right hamstring strain. Pratt started a rehab assignment in the minors on Tuesday, so he’s at least moving back in the right direction. Even so, hamstring injuries tend to demand patience, and Milwaukee is expected to handle that recovery carefully.
If Ortiz needs even a game or two off to manage the ankle, the Brewers’ infield depth will be tested again. On the season, Ortiz has six home runs, 33 RBIs and an OPS of .685.
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Brewers Trade Is Already Raising Questions For One Frustrating Reason
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