Pat Murphy reveals updated timeline for Sal Frelick's return to Brewers' roster

Milwaukee Brewers' outfielder Sal Frelick has been sidelined for more than one month, which is a rarity for the 26-year-old Gold Glove Award winner. Prior to this season, Frelick had spent just 11 total days on the injured list; his one brief stint was caused by a hamstring injury that sidelined him from July 15 to July 26 last year.

The reason for Frelick's second trip to the injured list in his four-year major league career is a right shoulder strain. During the Brewers' first game of the second half of the 2026 campaign, Frelick was making a throw from the right field corner and felt the pain in his shoulder. He was removed from the game, and imaging later revealed that a trip to the injured list was required.

Now, however, Frelick's return to the lineup is fast approaching. In fact, many expected to see Frelick rejoin the lineup sometime during this most recent homestand. However, with the Brewers heading to Williamsport, Pennsylvania, for their series finale with the Atlanta Braves in this year's Little League Classic, Frelick has yet to return to the Brewers' roster. That said, it sounds like Brewers fans won't have to wait too much longer to see Frelick back with the big-league club.

Sal Frelick expected to rejoin Brewers for upcoming series against New York Mets

While addressing the media ahead of Saturday afternoon's game against the Braves, Pat Murphy told reporters, "You'll see Sal in New York." That was as much as Murphy was wishing to reveal at the time, meaning it's still not confirmed whether Frelick will be back for the Brewers' series opener against the New York Mets on Tuesday night, or if he will return to the lineup later on in the series. However, if Murphy's report holds true, Frelick will rejoin the Brewers' roster before their Thursday night series finale in Queens.

Frelick's return likely means that Johnathan Ornelas' days on the Brewers' roster are numbered. Ornelas, nicknamed "Johnny Rockets," was acquired from the Athletics in a rare post-trade deadline deal to bolster Milwaukee's infield depth while Cooper Pratt was on the IL with a hamstring strain and Brice Turang was dealing with a bout of knee soreness. Since both Pratt and Turang have returned, playing time has been hard to come by for Ornelas, who has just nine total plate appearances since joining the Brew Crew. Many were expecting Ornelas to be designated for assignment when Pratt was reinstated from the IL, but the Brewers instead opted to send Brandon Lockridge to Triple-A to make room for the return of their rookie shortstop. However, with Frelick's return imminent, Ornelas' Brewers tenure looks like it's quickly coming to an end.

Meanwhile, questions remain in regard to the Brewers' outfield picture upon Frelick's return. Garrett Mitchell was in a brief slump at the beginning of the month, but has picked things up over his last seven games, with a .450/.476/.700 slash line during that stretch to prove it. Luis Lara, who has seen his opportunities increase as a result of Frelick's injury, is more than impressing with his defensive abilities while holding his own at the plate. Lara too is in the midst of a hot streak with a .310/.333/.414 slash line over his last seven games to prove it.

It will certainly be a rotation between the trio for the two outfield spots next to Jackson Chourio, with 2026 breakout slugger Jake Bauers no doubt earning some opportunities in right field. Therefore, the near-everyday opportunities that Frelick was seeing before his injury may no longer be present. He will instead have to prove that he deserves to be in the lineup every day over Lara, especially as the Brewers prepare their best lineup for the stretch run.

Regardless, Frelick plays an important role on the Brewers' roster, epitomizing the mentality that has led Milwaukee to unprecedented success during the Pat Murphy era. His re-addition to the roster after more than a month on the shelf will nevertheless be a welcome development for the first-place Brewers.

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