Last year, the Milwaukee Brewers suffered a disappointing loss on their roster during Spring Training. Outfielder Garrett Mitchell, who has unfortunately battled injuries for the entirety of his short MLB career, suffered a broken thumb during batting practice. This injury, as well as other setbacks, limited him to just 69 games last season, a year in which he hit .255/.342/.469 with eight home runs, 21 RBI, and 11 stolen bases.
Hopefully, 2025 is the year that Mitchell is finally able to put a healthy season together. Granted, the injuries he has suffered over the last two years have not been the fault of poor conditioning or lingering issues. His broken thumb last year was just plain bad luck, as was the severe shoulder injury he suffered sliding into third base in 2023.
That being said, Milwaukee really needs Mitchell to avoid injury this season, especially early, as one of their best outfielders is now out until May.
Milwaukee Brewers Center Fielder Blake Perkins Fractured His Shin
Today, February 22, the Brewers will play their first Spring Training game, a contest with the Cincinnati Reds. Unfortunately, they will begin their slate of games without Gold Glove finalist Blake Perkins, who, according to multiple team reporters, is out for 3-4 weeks with a fractured shin”
Injury news: Brewers outfielder Blake Perkins fouled a pitch off his right shin in live BP and suffered a fracture. He’s down 3-4 weeks to heal. Looking like a May return if all goes well, Pat Murphy said.
— Adam McCalvy (@AdamMcCalvy) February 22, 2025
Perkins, who played exceptional defense in center field last season, appeared in 121 games and hit .240/.316/.332 with six home runs, 43 RBI, and 23 stolen bases for the Brewers in 2024.
With their Gold Glove-caliber center fielder sidelined until May, at the earliest, the path for Mitchell to start the year as Milwaukee’s Opening Day starter at the position is wide open.
The Milwaukee Brewers Have a Deep Outfield
Fortunately for the Brewers, they have a plethora of outfielders who are more than capable of playing great defense and have excellent speed on the basepaths, which are Perkins’ biggest contributions to the team.
Jackson Chourio, of course, is the youngest and most exciting of these players, and will likely play either one of the corner outfielder spots. Christian Yelich, coming off of an injury-shorted All-Star season that saw him hit .315/.406/.504, will play left field and designated hitter.
Sal Frelick, the Gold Glove-winning right fielder, is as good a defensive outfielder as Perkins and could time in centerfield.
Jake Bauers, the Brewers’ backup first baseman, also played left and right field last season.
The issue, though, is that all of these players, save Chourio, are left-handed hitters. Perkins, a switch hitter, provided some balance to the batting order with his ability to hit right-handed.
Of course, Milwaukee has time to figure out their depth for the season, but they cannot afford any more injuries before the depth they already have becomes a serious issue.
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