Brewers Facing Decision After Unfortunate Jackson Chourio News

Brewers Facing Decision After Unfortunate Jackson Chourio News originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

The Milwaukee Brewers are entering a pivotal stretch of the season, locked in a closely contested race for first place with the Chicago Cubs in the NL Central.

A huge reason for their prolonged success this season (64–44 entering Friday’s matchup with the Washington Nationals) has been rising superstar Jackson Chourio.

The 21-year-old center fielder has appeared in 106 games this year for Milwaukee, hitting .276 with a .786 OPS, 17 home runs and 67 RBIs.

Chourio suffered a right hamstring strain during a game against the Cubs on Tuesday, July 29. He sustained the injury while legging out a triple and was removed immediately. The injury led to him being placed on the 10-day injured list on Thursday.

During pregame on Friday, manager Pat Murphy provided an unfortunate update on Chourio, announcing that the injury is more severe than initially thought.

Murphy also said that Chourio received a PRP injection and that his absence could extend to a month, but at least past the 10-day minimum.

Jackson Chourio’s injury is “a little more severe” than initially thought, Pat Murphy said. To what extent, the Brewers are not yet sure. He received a PRP injection and will be out more than the 10-day minimum.

Could it be a month? “Could be.”

— Curt Hogg (@CyrtHogg) August 1, 2025

Brewers' Outfield Options in Jackson Chourio's Absence

Blake Perkins got the start Friday against the Nationals and also replaced Chourio once he was removed from the game on Tuesday.

Perkins has appeared in three seasons with Milwaukee but has failed to establish himself as a reliable everyday player.

Over 199 games for the Brewers, the 28-year-old has a .236 batting average and .660 OPS, well below league average. Perkins has improved in 2025, batting .269 with a .768 OPS, but it will be hard for Milwaukee to trust this production is sustainable given he has only appeared in 11 games this year.

Right fielder Sal Frelick also remains an option to play center field. The Brewers’ 2021 first-round draft pick debuted in 2023 but has fully emerged as a reliable top-of-the-order threat in 2025.

Over 97 games, the 25-year-old has a .292 batting average, .756 OPS and eight home runs. Frelick has experience playing center field, having played there during his rookie year, and he is a capable outfielder given the fact he won a Gold Glove Award in 2024 in right field.

However, Frelick recently returned from the injured list after recovering from a left hamstring injury in late July, and he is being held out of the lineup on Friday to give his hamstring extra rest.

The Brewers will be forced to make a decision on who will replace Chourio over the next month of his absence.

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Aug 1, 2025, where it first appeared.