Brewers Injury Updates: Will Fans See Garrett Mitchell or Aaron Ashby Again in 2023?

Heading into the late stages of August, the Milwaukee Brewers have mostly recovered from the large number of injuries that some of its players suffered earlier on in the season. Two players, however, have missed a vast majority, if not all, of 2023, leaving fans wondering if they will have to wait until next year to see them in a Brewers uniform again.

Left-handed pitcher Aaron Ashby was primed for a potential swingman role between the rotation and bullpen before a shoulder injury and subsequent surgery knocked him out before the season even began.

Once the season began, as (bad) luck would have it, another Brewers player would fall victim to a shoulder injury that would end up requiring surgery. This time, it was outfielder Garrett Mitchell, who hurt himself diving into third base in his 16th game of the season.

With both players' surgeries out of the way, the two have each resumed baseball activities and travelled to Milwaukee to join the team on their current homestand and get some progress reports. On Tuesday, fans were able to hear about both, which leads to a certain question.

Will Brewers fans see Garrett Mitchell or Aaron Ashby again in 2023?

Let's start with Mitchell. Last week, we heard that Mitchell had resumed hitting and was set to visit Milwaukee this week. We also found out that there was still a small chance that he could make an appearance for the Brewers this season, a fact that was reiterated when spoken to at American Family Field on Tuesday.

Per the video shown here by MLB.com's Brewers beat writer Adam McCalvy, Mitchell notes that from a health standpoint he's "feeling great." The biggest factor into whether he will be able to get any games in with Milwaukee this season is whether or not there will be time for him to get any rehab games in with the end of the minor league season approaching. Without those, it may be too late for him to see the field this season.

The news on Ashby, though good, is a little less optimistic for this season. He is in the middle of a throwing program but hasn't seen the velocity come back quite yet. McCalvy notes, however, that his delivery being a work in progress is likely the reason for it, which the team could potentially still have time to iron out. It does seemingly make his return less likely than Mitchell's, though.

Any added depth a team can get in September is welcome but especially when it's players with major league experience. Even one of the two returning would go a long way toward the Brewers finding their way back to the postseason in 2023.