Milwaukee Brewers: Why did Mike Moustakas exit early?

Milwaukee Brewers infielder Mike Moustakas exited the game early on Tuesday night. What happened to Moustakas, and will he return soon?

Mike Moustakas was removed from Tuesday night’s game after getting hit by a pitch by San Diego Padres starter Logan Allen. Moustakas took a 91.8 MPH fastball off his left hand, and was replaced by Travis Shaw in the next inning.

It’s been a rough year for Moustakas’ hands. He has been sidelined with a fractured right ring finger twice this year, but hasn’t required a trip to the Injured List. However, Tuesday night’s injury was his first reported injury to his left hand.

Will Moustakas require time off?

It’s unclear at this point. The injury was called a ‘left hand contusion’, but Moustakas will probably undergo x-rays soon…if he hasn’t already.

If he needs time off, what happens?

Keep in mind, this is an ‘if’, and not a ‘will’.

If Moustakas needs a trip to the IL, the Milwaukee Brewers are almost guaranteed to turn to top prospect Keston Hiura.

Hiura posted a .281/.333/.531 slash line in 17 games with the Milwaukee Brewers in his first taste of Major League action. He blasted five homers, scored eight times, and drove in nine in only 69 plate appearances.

Hiura has continued to hit after his demotion back to Triple-A. He’s blasted five homers, driven in 13, and has hit .269 since returning to the San Antonio Missions earlier this month. Hiura appears ready for a full-time role with a Major League team.

While losing a player as productive as Moustakas would be a challenge to overcome, the Milwaukee Brewers would replace him with their second baseman of the future for at least a few weeks.

That’s even assuming that Moustakas even needs time off. He’s played through a few hand injuries, and he’s having a fantastic season. It wouldn’t come as a huge shock to see him try to gut his way through this one, too. However, the Brewers do have a ready made option waiting in Triple-A. The team could also choose to give Moustakas a 10-day trip to the Injured List, heal both his hands, and roll with Hiura for a few games. Injuries are always a challenge in a 162-game season, but this one has a clear solution if it ends up being serious.