MILWAUKEE (AP) — The Milwaukee Brewers are preparing for the likelihood they will open the postseason without outfielder Sal Frelick after he injured his hip crashing into the right-field wall Friday against the New York Mets. Although Frelick said an MRI revealed no ligament damage, he was walking with help from a crutch Saturday as he spoke to reporters. Frelick said he hurt his gluteus medius, a hip muscle that stabilizes the pelvis when someone is standing or walking.
“That’s what took the full brunt of the hip, which is good because it did its job,” Frelick said. “But it’s pretty crushed, so there’s a pretty bad contusion and that’s pretty much what’s not allowing me to walk. That’s the muscle that’s activated for holding yourself up.
“It’s kind of just how fast can we get that muscle back working and activated because it’s just kind of shut off right now from the impact.” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said the team isn’t ruling out the possibility that Frelick could return at some point in the postseason. But Murphy added the fact that Frelick isn’t walking on his own makes it apparent the outfielder won’t be available anytime soon.
The NL Central champion Brewers will open the NL Wild Card Series on Tuesday in Milwaukee. “It hurt my soul,” Murphy said of the injury. Frelick got hurt while attempting to catch a drive from New York Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez that traveled into foul territory during the third inning of the Brewers�.
