Milwaukee Brewers Activate Outfielder Jesse Winker From Injured List

The Milwaukee Brewers enter play on Saturday in first place in the National League Central by 0.5 games. They lead both the Pittsburgh Pirates and Cincinnati Reds by that margin.

The Brewers are playing the Pirates on Saturday in a game that has first-place implications, and ahead of that matchup the Brewers have gotten back a piece of their lineup by activating outfielder Jesse Winker from the injured list.

The following update comes from the Rotowire fantasy baseball portal:

Winker has had a rough time at the plate with the Brewers this season and has yet to hit a home run through 108 at-bats. He seemed to rediscover his power swing during his rehab assignment, slugging three home runs during his seven games in Nashville. Winker will likely reclaim his role as the Brewers' main DH, and his return will cause Jon Singleton to be designated for assignment.

Winker rediscovering his power would be a major development for both him and the Brewers.

He was a .288 hitter in five years with the Reds before heading to Seattle in 2022 and hitting just .219. He was dealt to the Brewers this offseason along with Abraham Toro in a deal that sent second baseman Kolten Wong to Seattle.

The Brewers are 35-34 on the season while the Pirates are 34-34.

First pitch on Saturday is slated for 4:10 p.m. ET. Pirates ace Mitch Keller (8-2, 3.41) will be opposed by lefty Wade Miley (3-2, 3.57) for Milwaukee. 

The series wraps up on Sunday afternoon.