Injury updates

[Jim French Stepstool]

4 hours ago, endaround said:

 Aside from his injuries, he K rate is a large warning sign. But he has yet to play enough to say if that is just who he is or a sign that in time major league pitchers will dissect his swing.

That's what adds to the frustration of his being hurt so often. You see the 1st round talent poke thru sometimes when he's on the field, but the lack of contact makes it so hard to project exactly what we have here. Was really hoping 2025 was the year he compiled 400-500 PAs.

[Turning2]

On 6/22/2025 at 11:23 AM, Jopal78 said:

He was a first round pick, with 3 years of team control. He’ll get tendered a contract for slightly more than the veteran minimum, and Mitchell will take it.
 

Otherwise he’s probably looking at no guaranteed money on a NRI if the Brewers non-tendered him after the season. 

They play for money after all.

I have no doubt that they won't cut bait. Presently, he's cheap enough for a budget challenged team to keep dangling that potential on a stick for a while yet. 

[Turning2]

2 hours ago, Thurston Fluff said:

The Brewers tend to sign two types of free agents. Guys recovering from an injury or once promising prospects who haven't put it all together for what ever reason. 

That is sadly all too accurate and perfectly reflects how insultingly ridiculous MLB's economic imbalance is. 

[folly412]

I would be fine with moving on from Mitchell in favor of better options.  But we don't have them.  Therefore, keep him until a prospect is ready (none are really close) or a very compelling signing provides an alternative.  Right now our alternatives are Cameron and Avans.  I'll take Mitchell's upside but injury risk over them if we eventually have one roster spot between the three of them.

[Playing Catch]

2 hours ago, Jim French Stepstool said:

Another example (albeit another better player) is Paul Molitor, who 'always seemed to be hurt' earlier in his career but shook the injury bug later.

Ooohh, great pull from the past. We tend to forget the warts on our heros (similar to the converstations regarding the defense those heros played).

[markedman5]

 

[Underachiever]

Molitor, who averaged 125 games and accumulated 12.1 WAR in his first three seasons? That Molitor? The one who missed most of his fourth season but came back and played 160 games while getting 201 hits and scoring 136 runs while batting .302? Yeah, weird that I didn't think of Mitchell in the same category. 

Molitor gave them reasons to have patience with his play on the field. My all-time favorite player and I was as frustrated as anyone with his injuries, but it was because what I saw him do in actual MLB games that made it so frustrating. 

[Jim French Stepstool]

1 hour ago, folly412 said:

I would be fine with moving on from Mitchell in favor of better options.  But we don't have them.  Therefore, keep him until a prospect is ready (none are really close) or a very compelling signing provides an alternative.  Right now our alternatives are Cameron and Avans.  I'll take Mitchell's upside but injury risk over them if we eventually have one roster spot between the three of them.

Agreed. AFA prospects go, I guess the closest would be Lara, who's in AA & is pretty young for that level. Unless Black somehow re-emerges (he's been playing OF for Nashville).

[Jim French Stepstool]

15 minutes ago, Underachiever said:

Molitor, who averaged 125 games and accumulated 12.1 WAR in his first three seasons? That Molitor? The one who missed most of his fourth season but came back and played 160 games while getting 201 hits and scoring 136 runs while batting .302? Yeah, weird that I didn't think of Mitchell in the same category. 

Molitor gave them reasons to have patience with his play on the field. My all-time favorite player and I was as frustrated as anyone with his injuries, but it was because what I saw him do in actual MLB games that made it so frustrating. 

Sure. The comp btwn the two was strictly related to the issues w/staying on the field early on, not production. Similar to @SeaBass's Buxton example. That's what makes this a tricky debate, the fact that while Mitchell has shown flashes when actually playing there isn't enough sample size to give him any kind of a letter grade. He would be an 'incomplete'.

[markedman5]

 

[markedman5]

Okay then

 

[edfunderburk]

Have there been any details given on Brock Wilken & his knee injury? 

[edfunderburk]

I’m ready to see Perkins added to the roster in place of Cameron. Neither is a great offensive player but Perkins adds late inning defense & is a capable switch-hitter like Collins. I believe he immediately upgrades the bottom of the roster & he can potentially offer a day of rest once or twice a week to a tired or slumping starting OF. 

[brooks_quichenick]

41 minutes ago, edfunderburk said:

Have there been any details given on Brock Wilkens & his knee injury? 

 

[KCBrewerfan34]

I’ve never ever heard of a dislocated patella. 

[AKCheesehead]

1 hour ago, edfunderburk said:

I’m ready to see Perkins added to the roster in place of Cameron. Neither is a great offensive player but Perkins adds late inning defense & is a capable switch-hitter like Collins. I believe he immediately upgrades the bottom of the roster & he can potentially offer a day of rest once or twice a week to a tired or slumping starting OF. 

I'm ready too.  But when will Perk be ready?  That's the crux.

[LouisEly]

LHP Nestor Cortes
Injury: Left elbow flexor strain
IL date: April 6 (15-day, retroactive to April 4; shifted to 60-day on April 21)
Expected return: First week after the All-Star break
Status: Threw just shy of 25 pitches against Brewers hitters on June 23 and expects to pitch again on June 27, either another sim game or a rehab assignment. (updated: June 23)

https://www.mlb.com/news/brewers-injuries-and-roster-moves

[yfinn6]

Wrong thread. Get well soon, Nestor. lol 

[Underachiever]

20 hours ago, Jim French Stepstool said:

Sure. The comp btwn the two was strictly related to the issues w/staying on the field early on, not production. Similar to @SeaBass's Buxton example. That's what makes this a tricky debate, the fact that while Mitchell has shown flashes when actually playing there isn't enough sample size to give him any kind of a letter grade. He would be an 'incomplete'.

I should probably let this go, but Molitor didn't struggle with staying on the field "early on." As I said he played 125, 140 and 111 games in his first three years. Year four was a strike year where he played in 64 of 109, and then in season five, played 160 games and accumulated 6 WAR. 

[tmwiese55]

5 minutes ago, Underachiever said:

I should probably let this go, but Molitor didn't struggle with staying on the field "early on." As I said he played 125, 140 and 111 games in his first three years. Year four was a strike year where he played in 64 of 109, and then in season five, played 160 games and accumulated 6 WAR. 

Probably some semantics on what constitutes "staying on the field" is what's going on here.   Because to at least some folks, missing 40 and 50 games and 40% in three of his first four seasons would count.   And the other side of the argument would be that is not nearly as bad as what Mitchell has been doing.

[markedman5]

 

[markedman5]

More from Pat Murphy: 

- Blake Perkins is finally ready to join Triple-A Nashville. He’s tentatively scheduled to debut on Thursday. 

- Brandon Woodruff bounced back well from yesterday’s live BP and will start for the Sounds in Jacksonville this weekend.

[Jim French Stepstool]

3 hours ago, tmwiese55 said:

Probably some semantics on what constitutes "staying on the field" is what's going on here.   Because to at least some folks, missing 40 and 50 games and 40% in three of his first four seasons would count.   And the other side of the argument would be that is not nearly as bad as what Mitchell has been doing.

@Underachiever has a valid point though, re the 'early on' part of the equation. He did miss some time then, but '84 through '87 (plus 1990) were probably more problematic in that regard--hardly 'early on'. From age 34 on he mostly DH'ed & was largely injury free AFA I remember.

Back to Mitchell--I agree with those who don't see him being given up on any time soon. But a large part of his value is his ability to run (in the OF & on the bases) & throw better than most. Wear & tear stuff. He needs to figure out how to stay optimal. Or just get a little more luck on his side.

[sveumrules]

Going all the way back to 2022 there are 168 players with at least 400 PA as an outfielder.

Of course Mitchell doesn't rank very high in plate appearances, his Milwaukee-centric 414 PA rank 165th.

Even with such little playing time, his +5.1 BsR is 43rd and his +6.8 DEF is 30th among those 168 outfielders.

(Sidenote: of the 23 outfielders between Blake Perkins (+13.4 DEF | 17th) and Jackson Chourio (+3.3 DEF | 39th), in the DEF column on the 2022 to present leaderboard there are nine Brewers or ex-Brewers - Perkins, Grisham, Taylor, JBJ, Sal, Wiemer, Mitchell, Dubon and Chourio - franchise sure loves them some outfield defenders.)

Ok, back to Mitchell. Combine that positive base running and defense with his slightly above average hitting (career 102 wRC+) and you have a guy whose 2.8 WAR is 85th on that outfielders since 2022 leaderboard.

[igor67]

There is almost certainly an era effect as well. For most players 140ish games played now is full on every day territory making 120 full time except for a quick DL stint. 150+ was the expectation for sure in the past.