Brewers Make Several Roster Moves on Friday

Brewers Make Three Roster Moves

Ortiz, in his second year with Milwaukee, will miss time with a hamstring injury. Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel quotes Ortiz as saying he hopes it will only be a short stint on the IL. In 125 games this season, the 27-year-old is slashing .233/.284/.328 with seven home runs and 43 RBI. He has added 17 doubles and 11 stolen bases, the latter equaling his total from last season.

Taking Ortiz’s spot on the active roster is Bauers, whose subpar performance at the plate this year could partially be attributed to injury. In only 59 games, he is hitting .197 with five homers and 18 RBI. However, his .672 OPS in 2025 is slightly above his career mark of .663. A six-year MLB veteran, Bauers is also in his second year with the Brew Crew after bouncing between four different teams earlier in his career.

Perhaps the most promising tidbit from Friday is Jackson Chourio beginning his rehab assignment. Placed in the IL on August 1st with a right hamstring strain, Chourio is an impact bat that Milwaukee would love to have back. However, given their torrid play in the last few weeks, it appears the Brewers haven’t missed him too much. The 21-year-old is in his second big league season. He burst on the scene in 2024, finishing third in National League Rookie of the Year voting after slashing .275/.327/.464 with 21 homers and 79 RBI, along with 29 doubles. Even after missing a few weeks, he remains on pace to surpass those numbers this season.

The Last Word

While losing Ortiz is discouraging news, the injury does not appear to be severe, and he should be back fairly soon. The impending return of Chourio, and the immediate one of Bauers, should more than make up for Ortiz’s absence in the short term. The Brewers still have the best record in baseball at 80-48 and have a comfortable seven-game lead over the Chicago Cubs in the NL Central. They’ll be in the mix in October, and if the roster is fully healthy and performing, they should be a tough out.