Garrett Mitchell has significant labrum damage, will likely require surgery

The Brewers got bad news on Garrett Mitchell’s shoulder injury. An MRI revealed significant damage to Mitchell’s labrum, and he is likely headed for surgery.

The Brewers center fielder dislocated his shoulder on an awkward slide into third base on Tuesday night against the Mariners. He remained in the game but was clearly in pain after making a relay throw to home plate. He left the game with a trainer.

Mitchell will seek a second opinion but is unlikely to avoid surgery. If he goes under the knife, the remainder of his 2023 season is in jeopardy.

In 16 games, Mitchell was hitting .259/.306/.466 with three home runs (105 wRC+).

Sal Frelick would have been positioned for a call-up after Mitchell’s injury, but he just hit the Triple-A injured list with a sprained thumb. He also underwent an MRI, but Craig Counsell said the club doesn’t expect him to miss much time. Still, he is likely to get more reps in Nashville when he returns to play to ensure there are no lingering effects from the injury.

In the meantime, Joey Wiemer will take over as Milwaukee’s primary center fielder, with Blake Perkins also in the mix. Brian Anderson and Owen Miller could receive more playing time in the outfield. Tyrone Taylor will soon embark on a rehab assignment and may return in a couple of weeks.