LOS ANGELES -- The Brewers were already facing an uphill climb in their quest to win their first pennant in 43 years -- and that was before they watched phenom Jackson Chourio hop off the field in the middle of an at-bat in Game 3 of the National League Championship Series.
Chourio exited Milwaukee's 3-1 loss on Thursday night at Dodger Stadium after his troublesome right hamstring acted up once again ... but it might not be as bad as it looked initially.
"It was a cramp. Just a cramp there," Chourio said via interpreter Daniel de Mondesert.
Of course, with Game 4 less than 24 hours away and the Brewers now needing to win four straight games after falling into a 3-0 hole, there isn't much time for recovery.
Is there any chance Chourio could play on Friday?
"Yeah, definitely," he said. "Right now I feel physically good, and I think tomorrow I could play."
It’s worth noting, however, that Chourio shared a similar sentiment when he initially injured his hamstring on July 29. After feeling something while legging out a triple against the Cubs, Chourio said at the time, “It just felt more like a cramp.” He landed on the injured list a few days later and missed a month before returning on Aug. 30.
“Chourio's had continual cramps in his hamstring,” manager Pat Murphy said following Thursday’s game. “He feels like he's going to be OK, so I'm hopeful. He's got an IV going right now, and we'll hope he's OK.”
Following his month-long IL stint, Chourio appeared fully healthy while playing all but one game in September before aggravating his hamstring in Game 1 of the NLDS against the Cubs. He exited that contest in the second inning, but he returned to the starting lineup for Game 2 -- and went 2-for-4 with a home run.
Though Chourio appeared limited at times for the rest of the NLDS, his hamstring had been mostly a non-issue -- until the seventh inning on Thursday.
Representing the potential tying run with one on and two outs, Chourio immediately grimaced and reached for his hamstring after fouling off a pitch from Dodgers reliever Blake Treinen. Chourio hopped around behind home plate as a team athletic trainer rushed out to check on him. He was examined briefly before hopping his way to the dugout and down the tunnel.
“I think I maybe tried to pull the trigger a little bit too hard there and that's what caused it,” Chourio said. “But just a cramp."
Chourio was replaced with an 0-2 count by Blake Perkins, who eventually struck out (which was charged to Chourio).
"It's hard. It's a little bit complicated,” Chourio said of exiting in the middle of an at-bat. “I think that's the first time in my life that something like that has happened to me. It sucks because I felt like I had the ability to do something for us there in the game. But like I said, I think that's the first time in my life that's happened to me, and I hope it never happens again.”
So, too, do the Brewers.
Just 21 years old, Chourio is in year two of an eight-year deal that runs through 2031 -- and has club options for ‘32 and ‘33. He's posted back-to-back 20-homer, 20-steal seasons to begin his MLB career and has quickly become a potential face-of-the-franchise-type player.
All of that is in the future, though. For now, the Brewers’ only concern is Chourio’s status for Game 4 -- and, hopefully, beyond.
"I know that it's tough and things haven't necessarily gone our way,” Chourio said. “But I feel confident that everyone is going to continue to go out there and give the best of their ability.”
Whether that group will include Chourio on Friday night remains to be seen.