The Brewers got the kind of injury update every playoff team wants to hear: Joey Ortiz says he’s ready.
With Milwaukee still a few days away from opening a five-game National League Division Series on Oct. 3 against either the San Diego Padres or the Chicago Cubs, Ortiz sounded confident after his MRI. Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel shared this on X: "Joey Ortiz on his status after yesterday’s MRI: 'I’ll be ready to go. I’m ready to play,'"
Ortiz hasn’t played since Sep. 25, and he’s been dealing with abdominal swelling and a bruised knee. Brewers manager Pat Murphy said the MRI came back "all good," according to MLB.com's Adam McCalvy on X.
McCalvy also wrote, "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,"
That’s a welcome development for Milwaukee, especially given how much Ortiz changed his season after a rough first half. Early in the year, his bat wasn’t giving the Brewers much, and before Cooper Pratt was promoted, it looked like the rookie might be the one to take over. With Jett Williams down in the minors and able to handle third base, Ortiz’s path looked shaky.
Instead, Ortiz found his footing once he moved to third. Pratt debuted on June 16, and from June 17 on, Ortiz hit .310/.348/.491 with an .840 OPS, along with eight home runs, 33 RBIs, nine doubles and four triples in 74 games. Before that stretch, he was sitting at .207/.299/.262 over 60 games.
Now Milwaukee needs that version of Ortiz in October - the one who can handle third base and contribute at the plate. And with a few extra days to get right after earning the No. 1 seed and finishing ahead of every other team in the 2026 regular season, the Brewers appear to be in good shape heading into the postseason.
In Other News...
Andrew Vaughn Could Give Brewers The NLDS Lineup They Wanted
Andrew Vaughn is trending toward being back in the mix just in time for the Brewers National League Division Series preparations, after the flu sidelined him and sent him to the 10-day injured list retroactive to Sept. 22. The timing matters for Milwaukee, which is getting ready to open the NLDS on Oct. 3 against either the Padres or Cubs and wants its roster settled well before the first pitch.
Vaughn is expected to be a full participant in team workouts ahead of the series, and the Brewers are likely to activate him by Oct. 3 if everything continues to go smoothly. For a club trying to line up the postseason version of its offense, simply having Vaughn back on the field for the final tune-ups could help the Brewers get closer to the lineup they had in mind for October. [Read more 🡒]
Brandon Woodruff Faces One Rehab Hurdle That Could Matter For Brewers
Brandon Woodruff has already cleared one important checkpoint in his comeback from a shoulder injury, finishing a five-week throwing program after initially being expected to need surgery. The Brewers have been encouraged enough by that progress to keep monitoring the next phase closely, with one final medical opinion still needed before he can start throwing off a mound.
That next step matters because it will help determine how much of Woodruffs rehab calendar is still open. If everything continues without a setback and Milwaukee makes a deep postseason run, there is at least a path for him to contribute in a bullpen role late in October, even if a return to the rotation as a starter in 2026 is not considered likely. [Read more 🡒]
Brice Turang Just Raised A Big Brewers Question
Brice Turangs 2026 season did more than establish him as one of the Brewers most valuable players. At 26, he put together a year that put him near the top of baseball by WAR and made him the standard at his position, leading all second basemen in a long list of categories while giving Milwaukee elite production on both sides of the ball.
Now the Brewers have a decision to make, and it goes well beyond celebrating a breakout. Turang is under team control through 2029, which gives the front office time, but it also opens the door to thinking about a longer-term extension while the organization weighs a strong infield prospect pipeline. The question is whether Milwaukee wants to lock in one of the games best young second basemen now, before the internal roster picture gets even more complicated. [Read more 🡒]