Vaughn set for Monday return, Chourio delayed by foul off ankle
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WASHINGTON -- The Brewers were expecting to gain a pair of Major Leaguers off the IL on Monday.
Instead, it’s looking like they’ll only get one back.
Left fielder Jackson Chourio and first baseman Andrew Vaughn, both dealing with fractures in their left hand, were set to return from their rehab assignments ahead of the Crew’s series opener against the Cardinals on Monday. But in their final game at Triple-A Nashville on Saturday, Chourio fouled a ball off his left ankle.
“Those things can be very painful,” manager Pat Murphy said prior to the Crew’s series finale vs. the Nationals on Sunday. “We got an X-ray on it right away, and thank God it’s negative. So we got to see how he progresses. … Today’s a critical day [to see how his ankle responds], so we’ll see about that.”
Chourio has been on the injured list since Opening Day, after he suffered a hit-by-pitch during a tune-up for the World Baseball Classic earlier in March, fracturing the bone at the base of his left-middle finger. Vaughn fractured the hamate bone in his left hand on Opening Day against the White Sox and underwent surgery on March 30.
Chourio had gone 1-for-6 in his three games on the rehab assignment, with three walks and two strikeouts. Vaughn went 2-for-11 (also in three games) with one double, one walk and two strikeouts.
Returning the pair from assignment could give the Brewers a much-needed boost, particularly in the pop department. Milwaukee entered Sunday tied for the second-fewest home runs (22) in the Majors, with only three dingers in the past week.
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Even with Chourio’s return delayed, it’s a promising sign for a club in need of some hope around injuries. In just the past week, Brandon Woodruff landed on the injured list (right shoulder inflammation) and Jacob Misiorowski exited his start Friday after experiencing a right hamstring cramp.
And that’s not even counting Christian Yelich, who went on the IL on April 14 with a strained left groin. He traveled with the team to Washington to continue his rehab.
Milwaukee has gone 18-14 to start the season, entering Sunday.