Brewers Season Starts on Ominous Note With Jackson Chourio News

The Milwaukee Brewers sent a shockwave through their fan base on Thursday, just as the celebratory mood for opening day was ramping up.

Jackson Chourio, the Brewers' 22-year-old star outfielder, played through a left hand injury during the World Baseball Classic that occurred when he was hit by a pitch in an exhibition on March 4 against the Washington Nationals.

Brewers officials reportedly had "no concern" at the time about Chourio's long-term availability at the time, per MLB.com. However, at some point, either the original injury got worse, or an entirely new injury impacted the same hand.

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Chourio hits injured list in brutal turn of events

Mar 17, 2026; Miami, FL, United States; Venezuela center fielder Jackson Chourio (1) reacts after defeating the United States during the 2026 World Baseball Classic Championship game at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

On Thursday, the Brewers announced on X that Chourio had been placed on the 10-day injured list with a left hand fracture. Outfielder Blake Perkins was recalled from Triple-A Nashville to take Chourio's spot on the active roster.

Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reported shortly after the IL announcement that the Brewers' "early estimate" on a return timetable for the star outfielder was two to four weeks.

Appearing on MLB Network's "MLB Central" on Thursday, Brewers manager Pat Murphy indicated that the injury had nagged Chourio over the last few weeks, and that Christian Yelich would likely see more time in the outfield with Chourio out.

"I hurt for Jackson," Murphy said. "He was looking forward to this opening day. He loved the WBC, obviously, but he had some pain when he would check-swing, and even throughout his work. So we got it looked at a little deeper with an MRI, and the MRI revealed that fracture.

"He's going to be out a while. It's actually begun to heal, so we're just worried that there could be further injury if (he) doesn't take care of it now."

Chourio played in four spring training games after his return from the World Baseball Classic, getting two hits on both Friday and Saturday before going 0-for-5 with three strikeouts on Monday and Tuesday.

After missing 30 games due to injury last season, Chourio looked like he was primed to take a leap this year and become one of the top five players in the National League. Starting the year on the injured list doesn't preclude that from happening, but it presents an unwelcome obstacle.

Is there a chance that by September, we've all forgotten that Chourio was ever injured? Absolutely, because as much as opening day feels like one of the most important benchmarks of the year, it's probably the time when the Brewers will be farthest away from the roster they're going to have down the stretch.