Pat Murphy makes the Jackson Chourio announcement that Brewers fans were waiting for

It was a dream start to the postseason for the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday afternoon, with one caveat. While the Brew Crew took care of business, crushing their NL Central rivals, the Chicago Cubs, by a score of 9-3, the mood in Milwaukee was dampened slightly by uncertainty surrounding an injury that the team's star outfielder, Jackson Chourio, sustained in the second inning.

After beating out an infield single to give him his third base hit of the first two innings, something that has never been done in postseason history, Chourio pulled up down the first base line and slowly sauntered back to the bag as Pat Murphy and head athletic trainer Brad Epstein hustled out of the dugout to check on their young star. With the Brewers up 9-1 at the time, the decision was made to pull Chourio from the game, much to the chagrin of the energetic crowd at American Family Field and Chourio himself, who wanted to remain in the playoff matchup.

Then came the postgame interviews. While Murphy took a somber tone, explaining how devastating an injury to Chourio would be for the team at this juncture, the 21-year-old outfielder told team insiders that he felt great and the hamstring injury was of no concern.

On Sunday, during the team's off-day, Chourio tested out his hamstring by doing game-like activities at roughly 50% effort. The video that surfaced said activities had some Brewers fans concerned, but it's now clear that Chourio was right in saying they had nothing to worry about. Just moments ago, Pat Murphy announced that Chourio will be leading off tonight's game and playing left field just as he did in Game 1, as reported by Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, among others.

Jackson Chourio officially in the Brewers' Game 2 lineup and playing left field

The fact that Chourio is not only hitting, but also playing the field in tonight's Game 2 tilt, is an indication that the 21-year-old is feeling good after the team's day off on Sunday. It's a huge development for the Brewers, who can now maintain the same batting order that put up nine runs in the first game of the series.

With left-hander Shota Imanaga set to start Game 2 for the North Siders, having Chourio at the top of the Brewers' order sets the tone for the rest of the game and gives the Cubs something to worry about right out of the gates. As previously mentioned, Chourio has yet to be retired in the 2025 postseason, going 3-3 with a double and three RBI in his three at-bats during the first two innings of Saturday afternoon's series opener.

Losing Chourio for Game 2 could have easily taken the wind out of the Brewers' sails, despite their "next man up" mentality being a key to their success all season. Now, with it being announced that Chourio will be a "full go" in tonight's contest, the momentum is certainly back on Milwaukee's side.

With a healthy lineup, a favorable pitching matchup, and a crowd of excited Brewers fans, this evening's late-night matchup is bound to be one to remember.