Heartbreaking Jackson Chourio injury all but seals Brewers' fate in NLCS vs Dodgers

Never say never, but things are looking very bleak.

The Milwaukee Brewers' offense was once again nowhere to be seen in Game 3 of the NLCS. After an encouraging start that saw the Brewers' answer the Los Angeles Dodgers' first-inning run with a run of their own in the second frame, Milwaukee allowed Dodgers' starter Tyler Glasnow to settle in. For the next 3.2 innings, the Brewers failed to scratch out a single hit, while Glasnow carved them up, collecting seven strikeouts during the span.

Encouragingly, the Brewers managed to get into the Dodgers' bullpen before the end of the sixth inning, somehow chasing Glasnow out of the game with two outs in the fifth despite his dominance of the Brewers' hitters. However, what the Brewers were hoping would be their key to success in defeating the Dodgers -- more opportunities against Los Angeles' relief corps -- proved to be futile. The Brewers managed just one hit against the Dodgers’ bullpen in the final 10 outs.

Meanwhile, the Dodgers scratched out a run against Jacob Misiorowski in what was likely the Brewers' rookie's final at-bat regardless of the outcome. Tommy Edman lined an RBI single up the middle to dampen an otherwise spotless performance from Misiorowski.

The Miz's replacement, closer Abner Uribe, entered the game and promptly committed a throwing error while trying to pick off Edman at first base, allowing Freddie Freeman, who was standing on third base, to walk home, giving the Dodgers a seemingly insurmountable two-run lead that held until the end of the game.

However, Uribe's error and the lack of the Brewers' offense weren’t even the most disheartening part of the Brewers' Game 3 loss to the Dodgers. That moment came in the top of the seventh inning, when one of Milwaukee's key hitters exited the game with a concerning injury.

Jackson Chourio exits with hamstring injury during Brewers crushing Game 3 loss to the Dodgers

It's no secret that Jackson Chourio's hamstring has been bothering him ever since he aggravated it in Game 1 of the NLDS against the Chicago Cubs. Concerns over whether or not the young Brewers' postseason star would be a part of the lineup in Game 2 of the NLDS were present, but the 21-year-old Chourio assured fans and his manager that he was healthy enough to play.

Evidently, Chourio wasn't lying, as he crushed an important three-run homer in Game 2 to give the Brewers a 2-0 series lead over the Cubs at the time, but it was clear that he was hobbled both on the basepaths and in the outfield.

Continuing to battle through the injury during the rest of the NLDS and in the first two games of the NLCS, Chourio proved why he is a fan favorite in Milwaukee; his effort and desire to help his team in any way despite not being 100% healthy is admirable.

However, in Game 3 of the NLCS on Thursday night, the injury became too much to play through. On one of Chourio's powerful swings at the plate, he re-aggravated the hamstring injury to the point where he had to be pulled from the game in the middle of his at-bat.

While no official word on Chourio's status for the rest of the series has emerged, it doesn't look likely that he will be a part of the Brewers' improbable NLCS comeback. With a 3-0 deficit, two games at Dodger Stadium over the next two days, and no Jackson Chourio, it's not looking good for the Milwaukee Brewers in 2025.

UPDATE: Following Thursday night's game, MLB insider Bob Nightengale reported that Chourio was just experiencing cramps during Game 3 of the NLCS, and he expects to be back in the lineup for Game 4 on Friday night.

That said, the decision is not Chourio's alone, and Pat Murphy, his coaching staff, and the team athletic trainers will have to determine whether or not Chourio is truly ready to return to the lineup. Stay tuned for more information on Chourio's injury status throughout the day on Friday, as the Brewers embark on what would be one of baseball's most impressive comebacks of all time.