The Milwaukee Brewers found out their home run leader is currently dealing with shin splints.
The last thing the Milwaukee Brewers wanted to hear was the fact that their best hitter is currently dealing with an injury.
Their 16-game stretch began with an extra-innings loss, and now it was revealed exactly why Jake Bauers wasn't in the team's game two lineup.
According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's Curt Hogg, Bauers was diagnosed with shin splints on Sunday, Aug. 23.
While it's great news that he doesn't need a stint on the Injured List, it's equally as concerning to know that he'll have to manage it the rest of the year, according to Hogg.
Brewers can't afford to lose Bauers
Offensively, this team is as healthy as they could get. They just got Sal Frelick back from the IL, along with Cooper Pratt, whose name has been a topic of discussion these past 24 hours.
Regardless, Bauers is in the midst of a career resurgence. Never before has the 30-year-old had a year like this, but one can only sit back and wonder about the implications of these shin splints and what impact they will have on him for the rest of the season.
For now, all the Brewers can do is give him some rest and hope for the best. Bauers leads the team with his 23 home runs, 75 RBIs, and his .382 on-base percentage.
The California native last appeared in a game during the Little League Classic where he had a pair of at-bats, going 0-for-1 with a walk.
This injury couldn't have appeared at a worse time
Pitching-wise, both Abner Uribe and JoJo Romero seem close to returning, so the Brewers are going to be at 100% as much as they can be without guys like Brandon Woodruff and Quinn Priester.
As for Bauers, the offense has desperately needed his power. There aren't many double-digit home run hitters on this team, let alone someone like him who has 23, which is already 11 more than he's had in a single season up to this point.
Bauers is a guy who's been in the big leagues since 2018, but he's never reached his full potential. It's hard to say he's hitting his prime during his 30-year-old season, but that seems to be exactly what's happening.
Having bounced around on four different teams before coming to Milwaukee in 2024, this is easily the most productive he's been not just in a Brewers uniform, but throughout his MLB career.
