Brewers' Garrett Mitchell may miss the rest of 2023 season with significant shoulder injury

Garrett Mitchell’s season is in jeopardy.

An MRI on Thursday revealed significant labral damage to the Milwaukee Brewers centerfielder from his slide in extra innings Tuesday night in Seattle. The injury will likely require surgery, which would make a return questionable this season.

Mitchell will seek a second opinion Monday. Barring any difference in news, surgery would then be scheduled for Tuesday.

Mitchell felt his shoulder separate on a slide into third base as he extended his left arm to grab the bag in an attempt to beat a throw in the 10th inning against the Mariners at T-Mobile Park.

"Obviously, it’s a freak accident," Mitchell said. "There's nothing I could’ve done to change what happened. If I had to redo that play 100 times,  I would do it the exact same way. The amount of times I've had to dive into a bag is more times than I can count in my career, so I wouldn’t change what I did.

"It’s unfortunate it happened that way but I wouldn’t have changed what I did."

He remained in the game in center field and even made a high-effort throw to home plate the following half-inning that aggravated the injury, but said Friday the slide itself did nearly all the damage.

"The throw from the outfield wasn’t comfortable but I don’t think that’s really the reason as to why (the injury happened)," Mitchell said "When I dove into third and felt my shoulder kind of separate as I was trying to hold onto the bag, that’s where the most pain was. I wouldn’t have changed (the throw), either. I did everything I could."

Initially diagnosed as a shoulder subluxation, Mitchell was optimistic the injury wouldn't keep him out all too long because he wasn't feeling the type of pain typically associated with a longer-term injury. The results from imaging done Thursday in Milwaukee caught him by surprise.

"With how I felt and what I found out," Mitchell said, "kind of two different things. (The pain doesn't) feel that bad, but with what I heard it's obviously not good."

Mitchell, 24, was off to a strong start in his first full year in the majors. Through 16 games, he was hitting .259/.306/.466 while playing superb center field defense.

“You’ve just got to do the rehab, get yourself better, push yourself through a tough summer when these things happen, and then he’ll be back to normal and ready to go.”" Brewers manager Craig Counsell said.

Assuming the second opinion Monday suggests the same course of action of surgery, Mitchell still is holding out hope for a possible return late in the year if the Brewers are making a postseason push.

"I’m going to try (to return). That’s what I'm focused on," Mitchell said. "Considering I don’t have many answers right now as to what it is, going forward, I got to see how my shoulder is at that time. If that’s what it is – if it’s surgery – that’s definitely going to be the goal. I definitely don’t want to sit out."

In Mitchell's absence and while Tyrone Taylor continues to rehab from an elbow injury, Joey Wiemer will receive the majority share of playing time in center field. Albeit with most of his time coming in right field, Wiemer has graded out as one of the best defensive outfielders in baseball this season.

"He’s going to be fine," Mitchell said. "Joey’s been playing all three positions. He has a lot of time in center field. He’s going to be fine. The organization, all the fans, everyone should be happy, excited for him. He’s going to do a good job."

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Brewers' Garrett Mitchell may miss rest of season with shoulder injury