Cooper Pratt's Surprise Benching Explained for Brewers

It was an intriguing day, to say the least for the Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday night.

First off, the Brewers got Sal Frelick back into the mix for the first time in over a month. Frelick was activated off the Injured List, although he didn't get into the action in the series opener against the New York Mets. But now he's an option for the Brewers moving forward.

Overall, it wasn't the Brewers' night. Milwaukee lost 3-2 against New York. It was a close one, but the way the game ended wasn't great. With the score knotted at two runs apiece in the bottom of the 10th inning, Christopher Morel stepped up to the plate for the Mets with the bases loaded and hit a grounder to David Hamilton over at third base, but he rushed it home and threw it past William Contreras. The Mets scored on the error to take the contest.

METS WIN! pic.twitter.com/6f6zgHNEHh
— SNY (@SNYtv) August 26, 2026

Cooper Pratt Was Pulled Early

Aug 21, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers shortstop Cooper Pratt (12) throws out Atlanta Braves right fielder Ronald Acuna Jr. (13) in the third inning at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Hamilton wasn't in the game to start. Brewers rookie shortstop Cooper Pratt got the start, but was benched early on. In the fifth inning, Pratt hit a blooper to right field that dropped and the young shortstop ended up at first base, rather than second base. Earlier in the contest he was tasked with getting a bunt down, but was unable to.

Pat Murphy benched rookie Cooper Pratt mid game for not running hard out of the box pic.twitter.com/qWWA1BFGUn
— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) August 26, 2026

So, the Brewers pulled Pratt and subbed in Hamilton in his place. In the process, Joey Ortiz was shifted from third base to shortstop.

After the game, Brewers manager Pat Murphy opened up about the decision, as transcribed by MLB.com's Adam McCalvy.

"You’ve got to be locked in if you’re going to play at this level,” Murphy said. “It was hopefully a good learning experience. ... It’s for the player and the team. I love [Pratt] and I believe in the kid immensely. But he’s got to be a player who does those things. He’s not going to hit 30 homers at this point in his career. He’s a great defender and a really capable offensive player, and he can’t have that. It’s just not tolerated by anybody, and it sends a message to everybody else, too. You’ve got to run.”

If Hamilton hadn't ended the game with an error, this likely wouldn't be a topic that was talked about as much as it has. For the Brewers, they are 30 games above .500 at 81-51 and are going to be just fine. But every game does matter when it comes to the race for the National League Central title and the top spot in the National League overall. Arguably, it was a bit of an overreaction. But hindsight is always 20-20. He's a rookie, so of course you want him to learn as much as possible. But it wasn't egregious.

Hopefully, Pratt learns the lesson Milwaukee wanted from this and it isn't a topic that has to be talked about again.

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