MILWAUKEE -- Brewers right fielder Sal Frelick has been diagnosed with a Grade 1 strain of his left hamstring, leaving his status in doubt as Milwaukee prepares to begin the second half with Friday's series opener at Dodger Stadium.
The All-Star break came early for the Brewers’ leading hitter when Frelick left Sunday’s game against the Nationals with left hamstring discomfort after making a slick catch in foul ground during the third inning. He underwent an MRI scan following an 8-1 win, and while that provided some clarity -- a Grade 1 strain is the least severe on the scale -- the Brewers were monitoring Frelick's progress over the break before deciding whether he'll have to go on the 10-day injured list.
As of Wednesday afternoon, that was undecided, GM Matt Arnold said.
The first sign that Frelick was banged up came in the bottom of the second, when he singled home a run but later stood hunched over with his hands on his knees following a steal of second base. After returning to right field for the top of the third, he charged toward foul ground to make a sliding catch of a Jacob Young pop-up, but again was hobbled.
“The last week, he was feeling it a little bit and was a little cautious,” manager Pat Murphy said. “He got treated for it, and then when he slid and it got worse, we recommended he come out of the game. He wouldn’t have taken himself out.
“It hurt my heart. He’s such a key cog in this whole thing. That just ruined my day. The win, obviously, brightens it some. How bad will that be? He’s getting an MRI right now and we’ll find out.”
It was an early end to a terrific first half for the 2024 Gold Glove Award winner and 2021 first-round Draft pick, whose move up to the leadoff spot in mid-June coincided with a Brewers surge. He leads the Brewers at the break with a .294 average and ranks second to rookie Isaac Collins with a .354 on-base percentage after going 1-for-2 on Sunday with an RBI single amid Milwaukee’s three-run second inning.
Frelick also flashed his skills in the field. Besides the sliding catch that ended his afternoon, he made a nice leaping catch of Daylen Lile’s fly ball to end starter Freddy Peralta’s scoreless second inning.