Brewers Suddenly Have Garrett Mitchell Question to Answer

The Milwaukee Brewers had to scratch Garrett Mitchell and now he's up in the air.

Sep 11, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers center fielder Garrett Mitchell (5) rounds the bases after hitting a home run against the Cincinnati Reds in the fifth inning at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Milwaukee Brewers had to scratch outfielder Garrett Mitchell ahead of the club's showdown against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday.

When Milwaukee initially released its lineup for the matchup, Mitchell was in it and scheduled to bat seventh and play center field. But he was scratched ahead of the contest due to left neck tightness.

Garrett Mitchell has been scratched with left neck tightness. Luis Lara replaces him in the lineup, batting seventh and playing CF https://t.co/0ofUO1upM3

— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) September 16, 2026

The Brewers Need Garrett Mitchell Healthy

Sep 4, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Garrett Mitchell (5) reacts after a play with Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz (44) in the second inning at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

As of right now, he is up in the air for Thursday's series finale against Pittsburgh, per Brewers manager Pat Murphy and transcribed by Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

"I don't know if he can play tomorrow. We'll see," Murphy said.

Now, all eyes are on Mitchell with the hope that he'll be ready to roll. The 28-year-old has been great all season. Injuries played a significant role for Mitchell over the last few years. He actually never appeared in more than 69 games in a season before the 2026 season. So far this season, Mitchell has played in 135 games and has responded with the best season of his career to this point. Mitchell is slashing .269/.360/.432 with a .793 OPS, 11 home runs, 65 RBIs, 14 stolen bases, 29 doubles, four triples and 68 runs scored. He's all the way up to 3.5 wins above replacement, a new career high.

On top of all of this, his advanced metrics have been incredible this season. He's in the 91st percentile in outs above average, 98th percentile in sprint speed, 98th percentile in bat speed, 97th percentile in average exit velocity, 96th percentile in hard-hit rate, and the 81st percentile in expected batting average.

Mitchell has been among the game's elite center fielders this year. That's why it's so important right now to follow this injury moving forward. In a perfect world, he'll be alright and play on Thursday. At the very least. hopefully he's able to be fully healthy by the time the playoffs get here. The Brewers are going to need him.

If he does need to miss any time, they can get through with Luis Lara out in center field and Sal Frelick or Jake Bauers out in right field. The Brewers have the depth to get through pretty much any injury, but with the playoffs approaching, you need to be at your best. Milwaukee is at its best when Mitchell is on the field.

So, as things currently stand, Mitchell was scratched on Wednesday and is still currently up in the air for Thursday's showdown. It's an afternoon game, so another update should release shortly. If he's in the lineup, great. If not, then expect to see a lot of Lara out in center field.