MILWAUKEE — An MRI on the injured hip of Sal Frelick revealed no structural damage, but the Milwaukee Brewers outfielder’s availability for the National League Wild Card Series is still up in the air.
“The doctors and trainers have said it’s good news because it could have been a lot worse,” Frelick said Saturday afternoon while his teammates prepared to take on the New York Mets in the second of a three-game series at American Family Field.
Sal Frelick talks to reporters about his hip injury: pic.twitter.com/8AzkHENU6c
— Todd Rosiak (@Todd_Rosiak) September 28, 2024
Injured Sal Frelick Remains Day-to-Day After Crashing into Outfield Wall
Frelick suffered a deep bone bruise when he crashed into a small, unpadded section of the right-field wall in the third inning of Milwaukee’s 8-4 victory Friday night. After Milwaukee’s medical staff checked him out, Frelick walked back to the dugout on his own, but was using a crutch to take weight off the hip Saturday.
“There’s a muscle that protects the pelvis and kind of supports it and that’s what took the full brunt of the hit which is good because it did its job,” Frelick said. “But it’s pretty crushed so there’s a pretty bad contusion and that’s pretty much what’s not allowing me to walk.”
With Frelick out of the lineup, Garrett Mitchell got the start in right field Saturday against the Mets and would likely be back there again when Milwaukee opens the postseason Tuesday should Frelick be unavailable.
Like Frelick, Mitchell is a talented, athletic outfielder who the Brewers drafted in the first round as a center fielder. But as capable as Mitchell is — playing 22 games in right this season with 11 starts — Frelick is arguably one of the best right-fielders in all of baseball.
He currently leads all National League outfielders with 15 defensive runs saved and is among the top 10 with six outfield assists.
“This guy’s a huge part of our team, one of the best defenders on the team,” manager Pat Murphy said. “We’re a team where defense is really important to us. He’s one of our key defensive players. Offensively he puts it in play and makes big things happen. He can cause havoc on the bases. It’s kind of our identity, and that’s taking a little piece out of our deal. It’s a big loss.”
Photo Credit: © Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
