Isaac Collins' breakout season just became much more important

Outfielder Isaac Collins has gone from a surprise player that made the Milwaukee Brewers 2025 Opening Day roster to one of their best performers this season. The 27-year-old switch hitter, who joined the organization in the minor league Rule 5 Draft a few years back, has made the most of regular playing time. With his consistent production, Collins has alleviated the concerns that arose with Garrett Mitchell and Blake Perkins both on the injured list. Now, after some unfortunate injury news that surfaced today, it looks as though the Brewers will continue to rely on Collins' impressive production for the foreseeable future.

Isaac Collins has excelled offensively and defensively

Entering play on Saturday afternoon, of Brewers players with at least 150 plate appearances, Collins was the team leader in wRC+ at 115, meaning his statistic runs created this year have been 15% better than the league average for his position. Christian Yelich was second on the team with a WRC+ of 114.

Digging further, Collins was fourth in OPS at .752, trailing Yelich, Rhys Hoskins, and Jackson Chourio by less than .020 points. His 13.3% walk rate has provided him with a great OBP of .357. Additionally, Collins is really hitting his stride as of late, slashing .316/.438/.658 since the calendar flipped to June.

On defense, Collins has been playing left field, and he is grading out as one of the best defenders in the game. Baseball Savant ranks him in the 89th percentile in fielding run value, and his five outs above average are near the top of the league.

Overall, Milwaukee is 26-10 in games where Collins starts for them this season. His well-rounded abilities, that also include his ability to steal bases, evidenced by seven so far this season, add another valuable dimension to his game that fits Milwaukee's style of play perfectly.

Garrett Mitchell suffers setback during rehab assignment, return timeline currently unknown

Garret Mitchell just can't catch a break. From a left shoulder injury in 2023, to a fractured index finger a season ago, to a right oblique strain four weeks into the 2025 season, Mitchell's big league career has unfortunately been riddled with injuries, preventing him from logging 162 games throughout his career despite appearing in parts of four MLB seasons.

In a devastating development, the injury bug has seemingly reared its ugly head once more. While nearing his return to MLB after close to two months on the injured list, Mitchell was appearing in his third game for the Nashville Sounds during his current rehab assignment. He was off to a strong start in his stint with the Sounds, collecting hits in each contest, but on Friday night, Mitchell reinjured his left shoulder while sliding back into first base, according to Brewers reporter Sophia Minnaert.

While the extent of Mitchell's injury is currently unknown, the fact that it's the same shoulder that he injured two seasons ago, and that he injured it in a similar fashion this time around, doesn't bode well for the 26-year-old outfielder. In the best-case scenario, Mitchell will likely miss at least another few weeks. In the worst-case scenario, the injury could be season-ending.

In either case, the Brewers will remain reliant on Collins, who is more than deserving of the continued opportunities that he will receive. Stay tuned for more on Mitchell's injury, as having both him and Collins on the roster is the ideal outcome, but for the time being, it's the latter who will continue starting games for the Crew on the outfield grass.