Joey Ortiz received encouraging injury news Saturday after the Milwaukee Brewers sent the infielder for an MRI following his early exit against the St. Louis Cardinals.
Brewers manager Pat Murphy said Ortiz’s MRI results were “all good,” according to Adam McCalvy of MLB.com. The testing did reveal some abdominal swelling and a bruised right knee, but neither issue appears serious enough to threaten his postseason availability.
Ortiz will sit out Sunday’s regular-season finale, giving him additional time to recover before Milwaukee opens its National League Division Series on Oct. 3.
The 28-year-old has been dealing with several physical issues late in the season. Murphy said Ortiz has also been managing oblique and groin discomfort, adding to the concern surrounding his availability for October.
Ortiz initially hurt his right knee while making a defensive play against the Philadelphia Phillies. He later left Friday’s game against the Cardinals after continuing to play through the issue. David Hamilton moved from shortstop to third base after Ortiz exited.
Ortiz has been an important part of Milwaukee’s lineup this season. He has hit .270 with 100 hits, nine home runs, 47 RBIs and nine stolen bases in 134 games, posting a .328 on-base percentage and .402 slugging percentage.
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The Brewers also have plenty of time to let Ortiz recover. Milwaukee owns the top seed in the National League and will not play until the NLDS.
For now, the plan is simple: Ortiz will rest through the regular-season finale and focus on being ready when the Brewers begin their postseason run. The MRI results give Milwaukee considerably more reason for optimism than it had when he left Friday’s game.
