Brewers news: Chourio injury update, Ashby opening Game 2, Imanaga starting for Cubs

To stagger the NLDS and ALDS in an effort to maximize the amount of viewers that each series brings in, the Milwaukee Brewers and the rest of the remaining National League contenders are the beneficiaries of a rare off-day between Game 1 and Game 2 of a playoff series. While the NL may not be lacing up their cleats on Sunday, there are plenty of storylines that have emerged since the Brewers and Cubs wrapped up their first-ever postseason contest yesterday afternoon.

Thankfully, many of the outstanding questions that Pat Murphy and Craig Counsell faced in between Games 1 and 2 were answered during the two managers' press conferences this afternoon. Here are the three most important pieces of information that emerged from said press conferences.

Chourio's hamstring strain not serious, to test it out on the field today

The biggest question mark that the Brewers faced following their 9-3 win over the Chicago Cubs on Saturday afternoon was the status of their star outfielder Jackson Chourio, who left the game in the second inning with a hamstring strain. Chourio's postgame mood was much different from his manager, Pat Murphy's, with the former claiming that he felt great and the injury was nothing to worry about, while the latter took a more somber tone, saying the injury "could be devastating."

After undergoing an MRI following yesterday's game, it has now been revealed that, while the tests were inconclusive, Chourio's hamstring strain is not a serious one, as initially reported by MLB.com's Adam McCalvy among others on the social media platform X.

As noted by McCalvy, Chourio will test the hamstring with some light game-like activities this afternoon, before the team makes a final decision on whether or not the 21-year-old will be back in the starting lineup for Game 2. Additionally, McCalvy alludes to the fact that there might be some gamesmanship when it comes to the team announcing Chourio's status, as it could potentially impact how Counsell elects to approach his pitching decisions for Game 2, but more on that later.

Overall, it's good news for Brewers fans. Between Chourio saying that he feels great after the game yesterday, and the MRI not revealing any serious injury, it's fair to assume that he will be in the lineup tomorrow evening, but the Brewers will take their time revealing that information.

Brewers announce Aaron Ashby will start Game 2 of NLDS

On Friday afternoon, reporters asked Pat Murphy who he was planning on throwing in Game 2 of the NLDS, and the Brewers manager said that while both Quinn Priester and José Quintana were available, he was not yet ready to reveal which would get the ball on Monday night.

Today, Murphy switched course, revealing that the team has decided to start Aaron Ashby in Game 2. It's not a complete change of course, as both Priester and Quintana remain options to follow Ashby, but Murphy was not yet ready to reveal who will be getting the ball second in tomorrow night's contest, as reported by Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, among others.

Ashby covered four outs in yesterday's series opener and didn't allow a single Cub to reach base. His presence at the beginning of tomorrow night's game will neutralize the left-handed hitters presumed to be sitting atop the Cubs' batting order. Ashby will more than likely face Michael Busch, Kyle Tucker, and Pete-Crow Armstrong before being removed from the game, allowing whoever follows him to pitch deeper without having to face the Cubs' lefties more than twice.

Shota Imanaga to start Game 2 for the Cubs

While Ashby will be first to toe the rubber for the Brewers tomorrow night, the Cubs, perhaps unsurprisingly, will throw left-hander Shota Imanaga, who was the bulk pitcher in Game 2 of the Wild Card Series on Wednesday afternoon. Due to the extra off-day today, Imanaga will not be pitching on three days’ rest like Matthew Boyd did yesterday, and on top of that, Imanaga only threw 67 pitches during last week's start.

During the Wild Card Series, Counsell elected to throw Andrew Kittredge as an opener prior to sending Imanaga to the mound. While that remains a possibility for tomorrow night's game, the move was met with criticism last week, and it appears as if Imanaga will serve as a true starter in Game 2.

In four career starts against the Brewers, Imanaga has a 5.73 ERA and has surrendered 5 HR. He was shaky in last week's start against the San Diego Padres, covering just four innings and allowing two earned runs on a two-run homer by Manny Machado. It's a good matchup for the Brewers, but one that certainly should not be taken lightly. Imanaga, despite his struggles against Milwaukee, has been a strong starter against the rest of the league in each of his two seasons in MLB.