Brewers' star outfielder set to begin offseason play following postseason injury

Since the 2021-2022 Major League Baseball offseason, Milwaukee Brewers star outfielder Jackson Chourio has also been playing professionally in Venezuela, his home country. The Águilas del Zulia have welcomed Chourio onto their team for brief periods of time throughout the years, with 21 games played being the most he has ever played over the winter months.

That said, after Chourio cracked the big leagues in 2024, he decreased his exposure and only played in seven games for the Águilas del Zulia last year. He also participated in the Venezuelan Winter League Home Run Derby, finishing runner-up to Eugenio Suarez.

According to Jim Goulart of Brewer Fanatic, Chourio is reportedly set to make his winter debut tomorrow. With teams playing a 56-game regular season, he could appear in seven games if he takes part in every remaining contest, but possibly more if he plays in the postseason.

Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Jackson Chourio will ease into offseason play after postseason injury

As fans may recall, Chourio battled a hamstring injury last October during the postseason. He initially injured it in August, missed a month’s worth of games, and appeared to be doing well until the NLDS, when he re-aggravated it against the Chicago Cubs. He continued to push through the discomfort, but even in the NLCS against the Los Angeles Dodgers, he had to leave in the middle of an at-bat due to the pain.

With Chourio unlikely to skip the opportunity to play in his home country, as Goulart noted, the Brewers want him to take a cautious approach and to ease into action this winter, beginning as a designated hitter. While the initial plan includes no defensive workload, it seems likely that he will eventually see time in the field, especially if Chourio has plans to represent his home country of Venezuela in this year's World Baseball Classic.

A decision on whether or not Chourio will play in the WBC has yet to be reached, and while it's likely the Brewers would prefer he not participate, seeing as he's the focal point of their long-term plans, it's hard to deny the talented young outfielder an opportunity to represent his country at an international stage.

So far this offseason, there have been no reports detailing how Chourio has progressed in his recovery from the hamstring injury. How he looks and feels during this brief winter stint will be worth monitoring, as it could play an important role in shaping his preparation over the next few months, with spring training in late February arriving before we know it, and the WBC taking place in early March.