Joey Ortiz Injury Update for NLDS Game 1 (Everything Brewers Fans Need to Know)

The Milwaukee Brewers don't have to reveal their National League Division Series roster until Saturday morning, but the organization gave a positive update on Friday ahead of the official announcement.

Throughout the week, the guy to watch from an injury perspective has been infielder Joey Ortiz. The 28-year-old has been dealing with knee and abdominal injuries, but is trending in the right direction. Brewers manager Pat Murphy said so himself on Friday and noted that the expectation is that he will be good to go for the National League Division Series.

"It looks like it's progressing in the right direction," Murphy said. "He's still ... he still has some pain. He's going to tell you, 'no,' and all that kind of stuff. He wants to play very badly. I would say at this point, we are planning on him being available."

Brewers Manager Pat Murphy on Joey Ortiz’s status👇

“At this point, we are planning on him being available.” pic.twitter.com/F1w337ehCx
— Hunter Baumgardt (@hunterbonair) October 2, 2026

Joey Ortiz Is Going To Be Alright

Sep 24, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Milwaukee Brewers shortstop Joey Ortiz (3) hits an RBI single against the Philadelphia Phillies during the eighth inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

There was a point during the 2026 season in which this update wouldn't have moved the needle much for Milwaukee. But things are certainly different now. Before he shifted from shortstop to third base, Ortiz was really struggling offensively. He was batting .207 with one home run and 14 RBIs in 60 games before Cooper Pratt made his big league debut. Pratt made his debut on June 16, which shifted Ortiz's role away from shortstop.

Things changed for the better for Ortiz afterward. From June 17 through the end of the season, Ortiz slashed .310/.348/.491 with an .840 OPS, eight home runs, 33 RBIs, nine doubles and four triples in 74 games.

He went from being someone at risk of being sent down to the minors, to being integral to this club's success down the stretch. Fortunately, when the Brewers open up National League Division Series play on Saturday, the current expectation is that Ortiz will be in the mix, barring some sort of last-second setback.

The Brewers have a tough series ahead. The San Diego Padres are the hottest team in baseball and aren't going to be an easy out. For the Brewers to win, they're going to need all of the help that they can get. So, this update is very positive for the organization heading into their most important series of the season so far. If the Brewers can take down the Padres in the NLDS, they would advance to face either the Los Angeles Dodgers or the Atlanta Braves in the National League Championship Series.

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