Sal Frelick Playing With Torn Labrum For Rest Of Brewers Season

Sal Frelick is returning from the injured list

Jul 3, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Sal Frelick against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Sal Frelick told reporters on Tuesday that he would be playing through a torn labrum for the rest of the Milwaukee Brewers season. 

However, he was quick to attempt to dispel any concern that fact may create. Frelick revealed that doctors told him most pro athletes have torn labrums without even knowing it.

“Ultimately, it’s a torn labrum, which is never what you want to hear, but how they explained it to me was that if they had an MRI of my shoulder five years ago, it would have looked relatively the same,” Frelick said. “It’s nice that they were able to tell that off the picture. They said that there was some new stretching of it going on, but for the most part, they said if they MRI’d everybody’s shoulder, everybody would have a torn labrum, for the most part.”

Frelick has been on the injured list since around the All-Star break. He and his team were faced with a decision after the diagnosis: reconstructive surgery or rehab. 

“I think maybe if you had asked me right after an MRI, I might have been not optimistic (about returning this season),” Frelick said. “But just how my body has responded to the rehab, and it wasn’t like I saw the MRI and they were like, ‘You need to get surgery.’”

Frelick told reporters that ultimately the Brewers' record played a big part in his decision to get back on the field this fall. 

“If we weren’t in [(contention for) the playoffs and in the spot we’re in, it might have been a different approach to the rehab,” Frelick said. “It was like, ‘Listen, there’s no reason to rehab it and try to get back as quick as possible.’ The trainers and everybody said we still have to take it slow, so there was that battle going back and forth. I pushed it as fast as I could while still being smart, and I think my body responded pretty well. Better than we all thought.”

Frelick began a brief 10-game rehab assignment this month and had very positive on-field results. The 26-year-old posted a .951 OPS with four doubles and two homers in Nashville. He was just hitting when the assignment began, but got some work in the outfield before heading back to Milwaukee. 

Surgery is not entirely off the table when the season concludes, but until then, he will provide some reinforcements to the league’s best team.

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