MILWAUKEE -- For the first time since Monday, Joey Ortiz got the start at third base for the Brewers. Unfortunately, his stay at the hot corner didn’t last long.
Ortiz was removed from Saturday’s 4-3 win over the Twins after the bottom of the third inning, getting replaced by David Hamilton to start the fourth. The Brewers later confirmed he departed the game due to neck tightness, which flared up during his second-inning strikeout.
“He had it before the game, and there was some question,” manager Pat Murphy said, noting that the tightness was occurring around the lower part of Ortiz’s neck. “He's getting an MRI right now just for precaution.”
As the Brewers await word on the MRI results, the hope will certainly be that the ailment is temporary considering Ortiz has enjoyed a bit of a career renaissance for Milwaukee this season. The 28-year-old -- who joined the Brewers along with DL Hall in the Corbin Burnes trade on Feb. 1, 2024 – has endured a difficult start to his Milwaukee tenure. He entered this season having slashed a combined .234/.303/.356 over his first two years with the club, and the start of 2026 didn’t go much better.
Things changed once he pivoted from shortstop to third on June 18 after the Brewers called up rookie Cooper Pratt. Since then, “third-base Joey” has become an unexpected success at the plate for Milwaukee, posting an .809 OPS in 36 games since the position change.