Brewers injury updates: Nick Mears, William Contreras, Jackson Chourio

The Milwaukee Brewers have dealt with several injuries throughout the season. While many have gotten healthy in time for the final few weeks of the regular season, there are still some injuries that are being worked through.

Manager Pat Murphy offered some updates on players ahead of Saturday's game against the Diamondbacks.

Nick Mears making progress

Reliever Nick Mears has been out since August 22nd with forearm inflammation. The Brewers had acquired Mears only weeks earlier at the Trade Deadline from the Rockies to help fortify their bullpen for the stretch run. However, in 11 appearances, Mears had a 6.75 ERA with the Brewers before landing on the IL.

However, Mears is making progress in his recovery. He will throw a simulated game on Monday and should that go well, "anything goes after that" per Murphy. Since the Triple-A season is ending on Sunday, there's no possibility of a rehab assignment for Mears and he will have to jump right back into the big leagues.

There's a possibility Mears returns before the end of the regular season. Murphy was optimistic that he would be healthy soon, but the Brewers could still wait to activate him until the postseason.

William Contreras dealing with finger and hip injuries

The Brewers held William Contreras out of the lineup on Saturday as he's dealing with a finger injury and a hip injury that are "annoying" him. Contreras wanted to play and likely would've been able to play, so this isn't a major concern. The Brewers simply want to get him some rest to get those issues as close to 100% as possible.

Murphy noted "why risk that getting any worse?". The Brewers have the NL Central already locked up, and their bid for a top two seed in the National League appears likely to come up short as they're four games back with eight to play. That provides no incentive to push the issue with someone as important as Contreras when he's nursing a couple of injuries.

It's nothing that Contreras couldn't play through. If this were a playoff game, he'd be in the lineup. But the Brewers have three catchers and can afford to sit him for a day or two to rest up.

Jackson Chourio also getting a break

Jackson Chourio has also been getting a little banged up lately. He turned his ankle early in Friday night's game when he tried to make a leaping catch at the wall and his foot landed awkwardly at the base of it.

In the midst of a 13 straight game stretch, Murphy opted to give Chourio the day off on Saturday and help that ankle get better. He hinted that Chourio might also get Sunday off as well ahead of Monday's team off day to give him three days in a row to rest up.

This doesn't appear to be a major concern either. Again, with not much to play for these next few days, why risk anything getting any worse, especially with an important player.