Brewers reinstate Jackson Chourio and Andrew Vaughn from IL after both recover from hand fractures
ST. LOUIS (AP) — The Milwaukee Brewers are getting some badly needed punch back in their lineup with Jackson Chourio and Andrew Vaughn coming off the injured list and starting Monday night’s game against the Cardinals.
Both players had been dealing with fractured bones in their left hands. Chourio hadn’t played yet for Milwaukee this season, while Vaughn appeared in only one game before going on the injured list.
The Brewers reinstated both players Monday before opening a three-game series with St. Louis. The starting lineup for Monday’s game had Chourio batting second and playing left field while Vaughn was batting sixth as the designated hitter.
Milwaukee also optioned outfielder Blake Perkins to Triple-A Nashville and designated outfielder Greg Jones for assignment.
The Brewers had been lacking power while Chourio, Vaughn and 2018 NL MVP Christian Yelich were all on the injured list. Yelich last played on April 12 as he deals with an adductor strain.
Milwaukee entered Monday with just 22 homers all season. Only the San Francisco Giants had homered fewer times. Milwaukee’s .354 slugging percentage ranked the Brewers ahead of only the Boston Red Sox and New York Mets.
Chourio collected at least 20 homers and 20 steals in each of his first two seasons in the major leagues. Vaughn had nine homers and an .869 OPS in 64 games for Milwaukee last year after they acquired him from the Chicago White Sox.
The 22-year-old Chourio was hit by a pitch from Washington’s Clayton Beeter while playing for Venezuela’s World Baseball Classic team in a March 4 exhibition with the Nationals at West Palm Beach, Florida. After Chourio felt bothered while attempting a check swing in late March, an MRI revealed a small hairline fracture at the base of the third metacarpal — something that hadn’t been visible during the initial testing that followed the March 4 game.
Chourio had left a game Saturday after fouling a ball off his left ankle during a rehabilitation appearance with Nashville, but the incident didn’t delay his return to the big leagues.
Vaughn, 28, was injured during an at-bat in the Brewers’ 14-2 season-opening win over the Chicago White Sox. He was diagnosed with a fractured hamate bone.
The return of Chourio and Vaughn led to the exits of Perkins and Jones.
Perkins, 29, batted .109 with a .212 on-base percentage, no homers, five RBIs and one steal in 19 games. Jones, 28, hit .095 with one RBI, one steal, no walks and nine strikeouts in 22 plate appearances.
The Brewers also returned pitcher Quinn Priester from his rehabilitation appearance, though the right-hander remains on the injured list as he recovers from thoracic outlet syndrome. Priester allowed nine runs and walked eight batters over five innings in three appearances with Nashville.
Priester went 13-3 with a 3.32 ERA for Milwaukee last season.
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