ST. LOUIS – As expected, first baseman Andrew Vaughn rejoined the Milwaukee Brewers on May 4 at Busch Stadium. The unknown heading into the team’s three-game series with the St. Louis Cardinals, though, was whether outfielder Jackson Chourio would join him.
The news is in: Chourio’s back.
While the plan all along was for both power bats to return May 4, Chourio’s status came into question after fouling a ball off his foot/ankle in his final rehab appearance at Class AAA Nashville on May 2.
Chourio departed that game after the injury occurred, but X-rays were negative. He was seen going through a series of running and lateral agility drills with Brewers training staff in the outfield at Busch Stadium before officially being activated.
Outfielder Blake Perkins was optioned to Nashville and Greg Jones was designated for assignment to clear space for the two hitters.
Vaughn, who fractured the hamate bone in his left hand on opening day, appeared in three games at Nashville last week and had 12 plate appearances. He returned right in line with his initial estimate of four to six weeks after undergoing surgery.
For Chourio, avoiding a serious injury was a major positive after already going on the injured list because of one bad break. The 22-year-old suffered a hairline fracture in his left hand during an exhibition for the World Baseball Classic on March 4. Initially reported as merely a bruise, that injury didn’t fully come to light until the eve of opening day, when further imaging revealed that Chourio had structural damage in his middle finger.
The Brewers initially listed Chourio’s timeline to return at two to four weeks. Returning Ma 4 put it just short of a six-week absence.
Now that he’s back, it’s not a moment too soon for an offense that needs the pop.
Chourio and Vaughn are significant additions for an offense that ranks second to last in the major leagues with 22 home runs and has hit only four over its previous 17 games.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Brewers activate Andrew Vaughn, Jackson Chourio from injured list
Reporting by Curt Hogg, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
