Jackson Chourio getting breather on Friday

Frelick is likely facing an extended absence after aggravating a lingering shoulder ailment on a throw from right field during Friday’s second-half opener against the Marlins. Brewers manager Pat Murphy told reporters afterwards that he could be down for a while. Frelick said that he’s been dealing with the shoulder issue for nearly two months and will undergo an MRI to determine the severity. There should be a definitive return timeline at some point in the coming days. Frelick’s absence opens the door for top prospect Luis Lara to play everyday in right field. He boasts an intriguing blend of fantasy-relevant tools and is worthy of a speculative roster spot in all formats.

There’s real cause for concern after Frelick experienced discomfort on a throw from right field during the fourth inning of Friday’s second-half opener against Miami. The 26-year-old will undergo imaging to determine the severity of the issue, with Murphy adding that he doesn’t expect him back anytime soon. There should be some clarity on his status later this weekend. Frelick’s absence would pave a relatively unobstructed path for top prospect Luis Lara to play virtually everyday in right field, which would be a huge boost to his fantasy appeal. He’s worthy of a speculative roster spot in all fantasy leagues at this point.

Chourio takes a seat after going just 3-for-21 during a five-game series against the division-rival Cardinals earlier this week. The 22-year-old franchise cornerstone will get a bit of a mental reset break in the front-end of the twin bill and figures to return for Saturday’s evening showdown at PNC Park. It’ll be rookie Luis Lara taking over in left field with Garrett Mitchell hitting second in the opening contest.

Lara put together a memorable major-league debut during the second game of Tuesday’s twin bill at Busch Stadium, going 1-for-4 with a pair of RBI. The 21-year-old top prospect offers some serious fantasy intrigue based on his fantasy-relevant skillset and is worth a speculative roster spot in the event that he sticks around in an everyday role coming out of next week’s All-Star break.

Lara will make his highly anticipated major-league debut after sitting out the front-end of the twin bill. The switch-hitting 21-year-old top prospect signed a seven-year extension last month and earns a shot with Milwaukee after slashing a robust .321/.432/.470 with nine homers and 24 steals in 346 plate appearances at Triple-A Nashville. He offers an intriguing blend of fantasy-relevant skills and is worthy of a speculative pickup in deeper mixed leagues. The central question for fantasy managers is how much the Brewers are willing to put on his plate at this early stage of his big-league career.

Brewers skipper Pat Murphy expressed optimism that it’ll be a minimum injured list stint for Hamilton, but it might be too early to make that determination. The 28-year-old speedster figures to be out through next week’s All-Star break. Milwaukee brought up top prospect Luis Lara to take his roster spot and provide the club with a versatile bench option with some speed.

This move was rumored earlier in the day and is now official. We will need to wait for Tuesday’s lineup to get a better sense of what Lara’s role will be because it seems like there remains an outfield logjam unless Sal Frelick is moved to the infield. Lara can be added as a batting average and speed asset in deeper formats, but we’d still wait and see in shallow league types.

The Brewers have eight games this week, including a doubleheader on Tuesday, so there is no word yet on the plan for Lara going forward. However, the 21-year-old has certainly earned an opportunity. He is slashing .321/.423/.470 in 78 games at Triple-A with nine home runs, 67 runs scored, and 24 steals. There doesn’t seem to be a spot in the outfield for Lara, but Sal Frelick has played third base before and David Hamilton (hamstring) may be going on the injured list. There are still some moving pieces here, but Lara, who is the 67th-ranked prospect in baseball, according to MLB Pipeline, signed a seven-year, $31 million extension with Milwaukee last month, so he is part of this team’s future. We would not add him in fantasy leagues until we get a more clear understanding of his role.

Chourio was given Saturday off originally, but he replaced Jake Bauers in the contest and was able to pick up a solo homer in the ninth. Unfortunately for Milwaukee, that homer came with the Brew Crew trailing by two, and no one was on base. Chourio has homered 13 times in the first half of 2026 with a slash of .293/.350/.529 to go with those roundtrippers.

It appears to just be a day of maintenance for Chourio, and it’ll be his first day off since the start of June. The 22-year-old gets a break with Jake Bauers earning a nod in left field for Saturday’s contest.