Former Bruin on Brink of Return to Brewers From Injury

UCLA alumni Garrett Mitchell is close to returning to Milwaukee after spending more than 50 days on the IL and an impressive start to his rehab assignment.

Apr 23, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Milwaukee Brewers center fielder Garrett Mitchell (5) holds the handle of his broken bat against the San Francisco Giants in the fourth inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Eakin Howard-Imagn Images | Eakin Howard-Imagn Images

After going down with an oblique strain in late April, Milwaukee Brewers center fielder and former UCLA Bruins standout Garrett Mitchell is nearing his return, according to Curt Hogg of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Mitchell began his rehab assignment with Triple-A Nashville on Tuesday and had a promising debut. He went 1-for-3 and scored two runs before being pulled in the seventh inning. According to Hogg, Mitchell won't make his return just yet, as the Brewers plan to give the 26-year-old "a healthy number of at-bats with Nashville," before bringing him back to the majors.

Milwaukee manager Pat Murphy was asked if there was a specific amount of games or at-bats Mitchell would have to see before they were comfortable with him being called up. He said, "there really isn’t, we gotta kind of track it and see where he’s at, keep him healthy. The fact that he did have a full spring training and (78) plate appearances with us (helps).”

Before being placed on the injured list on April 25, the former Bruin was batting .206 with 14 hits, nine runs scored, seven walks and a .580 OPS in 76 trips to the plate this season. Not to mention, he was statistically one of the best defensive outfielders in baseball in those 25 games.

Mitchell played three seasons with UCLA and played 121 career games. Through those three years, one of which was cut short in 2020 due to COVID, he put up a .327/.393/.478 slash line with 24 doubles, 15 triples, and six home runs in 477 at-bats.

He was off to a hot start in the 15 games they played in 2020. He was batting .355 with six and one triple and just three strikeouts over 62 at-bats. Entering the season, he was a unanimous Preseason All-America selection.

In 2019, his true sophomore season, he slashed .349/.418/.566 over 62 games and was named a Third Team All-American by the NCBW and ABCA, and a Perfect Game honorable mention, to go along with being selected to the Pac-12 All-Conference Team and was a First Team All-ABCA West Region honoree.

Mitchell was drafted 20th overall in the 2020 MLB Draft by the Brewers and was UCLA's highest-selected outfielder since Shane Mack (No. 11, San Diego) in 1984.

Ensure you follow on X (Twitter) @UCLAInsideronSI and @cmorenoNBA and never miss another story on a former Bruin again.

Please let us know your thoughts on this when you like our Facebook page WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE.