After reinjuring left shoulder, Garrett Mitchell missed time last season for Milwaukee Brewers. He's looking to rebound.
When last season ended, Garrett Mitchell found himself on the sidelines.
The Milwaukee Brewers' player had reinjured his surgically-repaired left shoulder once again, putting him in the uncomfortable position of watching his team play.
Of course, the Brewers went on to the National League Championship Series. But Mitchell wasn't a part of the fun.
As Cactus League play rolls on for the Brewers, Mitchell is looking to get back into the flow of things.
When the Brewers defeated the San Francisco Giants 13-12 on Wednesday in a Cactus League matchup, Mitchell got some time to show his stuff. He played three innings and managed to coax a walk in one of his at-bats.
The road back to playing MLB ball has been a treacherous one for Mitchell.
“The game doesn’t stop for you. Everything keeps going,” Mitchell said, according to MLB.com Brewers beat reporter Adam McCalvy. “If anything, it gives you perspective on life. Make the most of the opportunities you have now, because whether it’s injuries, retirement, the game keeps going.”
McCalvy offered up a list of injuries that have beset Mitchell in his big-league career.
- A knee injury cost him about two months of '21.
- An oblique issue shortened his '22.
- In '23, Mitchell played 16 games for the Brewers before shredding his left shoulder on a headfirst slide, and surgery sidelined him until late September.
- In '24, he fractured his left index finger during the final week of Spring Training and didn’t debut until July 1.
Last season, Mitchell was the Brewers' starting center fielder for manager Pat Murphy. McCalvy pointed out that Mitchell suffered an oblique injury on April 25 and headed to the Injured List. That's a place Mitchell has seen too much of in his pro baseball career.
What about some goals for this season? Mitchell is pretty focused on getting the Brewers into the World Series in 2026 after being so close last season.
“I’m not putting up walls on anything,” Mitchell. “I’m going to go play baseball. I’m not overthinking anything. Once we’re out of [Spring Training], it’s time to go.”
One person who has watched Mitchell go through so much recovery time due to injuries is his wife, Haley. She, too, spent time playing college and pro softball, so she understands the pressure of wanting to perform at a high level as an athlete.
“I was lucky enough to get through my career without any career-altering injuries, but I know that it can be easy to lose empathy when you’ve seen an athlete that’s had multiple,” Haley said.
Still, having to watch her husband go through so much must have been tough. Still, she stayed close and committed to helping her husband become healthier and better step by step.
Here's hoping that Mitchell can get a spot on the big-league club and stick through the season in a healthy way.
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