MILWAUKEE -- Brewers outfielder Jackson Chourio made a quick impact in Game 1 of the National League Division Series against the Cubs on Saturday, rattling off three hits and three RBIs in the first two innings of the Brewers’ 9-3 win at American Family Field.
It also ended up being a short afternoon for the left fielder, who exited in the second inning with right hamstring tightness. Now the Brewers are holding their breath to find out if their young star will be able to play again this series.
After bookending a six-run first inning with a leadoff double and a two-run single, Chourio drove in the Brewers' final run of the game by legging out a bases-loaded infield single in the second. He was slow to get back to the bag, prompting a visit from trainers and Brewers manager Pat Murphy, Chourio eventually walking back to the dugout gingerly without any assistance.
The club announced later that Chourio had an MRI, though its results were not immediately known. Chourio missed most of August with a strain of that same hamstring, which he suffered in a game against the Cubs on July 29.
"Obviously, it's real scary,” Murphy said. “Having that same hamstring injury to the same leg, we're hoping that it's something he can come back from soon. We have no idea when that would be. He's just getting out of the tube right now. We'll have somebody look at it. Could be devastating.”
Chourio was more optimistic about his outlook, stating, “physically I feel good.”
“Compared to the last time that this happened, I feel like I'm in a very good position,” Chourio said via interpreter Daniel de Mondesert.
The scheduling of the series does give the Brewers and Chourio some extra rest. Game 2 will not be until Monday, and Tuesday is another scheduled off-day before the series shifts to Wrigley Field. That does afford the team some time to see what the diagnosis is and determine when he can return to the lineup.
Chourio quickly showed what he brings to the table on Saturday in becoming the first player in postseason history to record three hits in two innings. The 21-year-old outfielder has also played some of his best baseball in the postseason, going 8-for-14 with two home runs so far in his career.
“I think it's the adrenaline,” Chourio said. “I love playing in these pressure moments, and really, I see it as a blessing being able to compete and to be able to have the results that I've had.”
But if he can’t go, the Brewers will have to look elsewhere for both a leadoff hitter and an extra outfielder.
Isaac Collins pinch-ran for Chourio in the second inning and would seem to be a leading candidate. The rookie slashed .263/.368/.411 with nine home runs, 54 RBIs and 16 stolen bases over 441 plate appearances this season and posted an .839 OPS in the 24 games he played when Chourio was on the injured list.
Brice Turang and Sal Frelick both had more plate appearances as a leadoff hitter for the Brewers than Chourio this season, but both made an impact in the middle of the Brewers’ lineup Saturday, too. Turang drove in Chourio with a double to right on the first pitch he saw in the first to tie the game, while Frelick broke the game open with his cue shot later in the first, facilitated by a fielding error by second baseman Nico Hoerner. Frelick added a single in the fourth.
The Brewers may have been able to pull off their 14-game win streak this season with Chourio on the shelf, but the postseason is a different entity -- even with a 1-0 edge, losing him would be a blow.
"We want him here playing with us,” center fielder Blake Perkins said. “I haven't been able to check in on him yet, but it's kind of like what Murph preaches, 'next man up.' If he can't be in there on Monday, then someone else will be in there doing their job. We collectively as a group believe in each other and we had to play a long time without Chourio in the middle of the season.
“I wouldn't say I'm worried, but yeah, I feel for him. We want him healthy.”