Ortiz is not in the lineup for Monday's game versus the Orioles.
Ortiz's season-long slump at the plate (he's hitting just .170/.223/.218 in 45 games) is finally starting to cost him some playing time, as this is the third time he's been out of the lineup across the last seven contests. Prior to that, he had been out of the batting order just once all season. Andruw Monasterio will step in at shortstop again in Ortiz's place Monday.
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Brewers' Joey Ortiz: On bench again Wednesday
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Ortiz is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Guardians.
Andruw Monasterio will step in at shortstop while Ortiz takes a seat for the second time in three games, with both absences coming against right-handed pitching. Manager Pat Murphy hasn't confirmed a changing of the guard at shortstop, but it's clear that Ortiz has lost job security after struggling to a .173/.228/.223 slash line through the Brewers' first 43 games of the season.
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Brewers' Joey Ortiz: Absent from Monday's lineup
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Ortiz is not in the Brewers' starting lineup against the Guardians on Monday.
Ortiz will begin Monday's series opener in the dugout while Andruw Monasterio starts at shortstop and bats eighth. Ortiz has struggled at the plate this season and has gone 4-for-32 with a solo home run since the beginning of May.
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Brewers' Joey Ortiz: Swipes two bags in win
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Ortiz went 2-for-5 with two steals and a run scored in Tuesday's win over the White Sox.
Ortiz notched multiple base hits for the first time since April 11 and doubled his season stolen-base total with a pair of thefts. He now has four hits in his last three games, with two of those going for extra bases. It's been a struggle at the dish on the whole for Ortiz this season, however, as he's slashing .190/.264/.229 with just three extra-base knocks, five RBI, 12 runs and a 9:17 BB:K in 112 plate appearances.
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Brewers' Joey Ortiz: Not in Tuesday's lineup
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Ortiz is not in the Brewers' starting lineup against the Giants on Tuesday.
Ortiz will take a seat after going 1-for-18 with two runs scored over his last five games. Vinny Capra will start at shortstop and bat seventh against Giants right-hander Jordan Hicks.
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Brewers' Joey Ortiz: Reaches five times in rout
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Ortiz went 2-for-2 with three walks, three runs and two RBI in Wednesday's 17-2 win against Colorado.
Ortiz batted out of the No. 9 slot in Milwaukee's lineup, but he produced more like a leadoff hitter with his two singles and three walks. The 26-year-old also knocked in two of the team's runs and scored three times. The RBI were the first of the season for Ortiz, and prior to Wednesday, he had drawn just one free pass over 43 plate appearances.
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Brewers' Joey Ortiz: Will open season at shortstop
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Brewers manager Pat Murphy said Tuesday that Ortiz will open the season as the team's primary shortstop, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.
The Brewers were considering sliding Brice Turang over to shortstop and putting Ortiz at second base, but Turang's sore shoulder ended that conversation. Ortiz will enter the season with only third-base eligibility if your platform uses a 20-game threshold, but he will pick up shortstop eligibility soon.
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Brewers' Joey Ortiz: Appears locked in at shortstop
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Ortiz is expected begin the 2025 season as the club's starting shortstop, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.
The Brewers appeared ready to give Brice Turang the nod at shortstop to begin the year, but a shoulder injury has derailed that plan. Instead, Ortiz is the likely candidate to at least start the campaign at shortstop, with Turang remaining at the keystone until he works through the shoulder issue.
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Brewers' Joey Ortiz: On fire in March
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Ortiz went 2-for-3 with a double, a triple and three RBI in Monday's Cactus League game against the Mariners.
Ortiz went just 1-for-10 in the four spring games he appeared in last month, but he has gotten hot since the calendar flipped to March, going 7-for-13 (.538) with four extra-base hits and three steals. The Brewers have not yet decided whether Ortiz or Brice Turang will be the primary shortstop, but expect Ortiz to see regular action one way or another.
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Brewers' Joey Ortiz: Getting first crack at shortstop
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Ortiz will start at shortstop and bat sixth in Saturday's Cactus League opener against the Reds, Sophia Minnaert of Bally Sports Wisconsin reports.
Manager Pat Murphy said to not look into the positional alignment too much, but it's still notable that the 26-year-old is getting the first exhibition start at shortstop following the offseason departure of Willy Adames. Ortiz provided strong defense at third base last season and had a .239/.329/.398 slash line with 11 homers and 11 steals in 142 regular-season games. Brice Turang is also being considered for a shift shift to shortstop, but it may make more sense to keep him at second base since that's where he won the Platinum Glove Award last year.
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Brewers' Joey Ortiz: Drives in three Saturday
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Ortiz went 1-for-3 with a walk, three RBI and a stolen base in Saturday's 6-0 win over the Mets.
Ortiz plated the Brewers' first two runs with a single in the fourth inning before drawing a bases-loaded walk in the eighth. The infielder has had a decent September, batting .256 (21-for-82) with 10 extra-base hits, 15 RBI and four steals over 25 contests. He's been the Brewers' main third baseman in 2024, posting a .240/.331/.400 slash line with 11 steals, 11 home runs, 60 RBI and 58 runs scored across 141 games.
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Brewers' Joey Ortiz: Idle for second game
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Ortiz is absent from the starting lineup for the second game of a doubleheader against the Reds on Friday.
Ortiz started at third base and went 0-for-3 at the plate during the matinee. He'll retreat to the bench for the nightcap as Andruw Monasterio handles the hot corner.
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Brewers' Joey Ortiz: Swats homer
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Ortiz went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run during Sunday's 4-3 loss to the Reds.
Ortiz got the scoring started Sunday, tagging Nick Lodolo for a two-run homer in the second inning. The long ball was Ortiz's eighth of the season, and the third baseman appears to finally be breaking out of his slump, going 9-for-24 with four extra-base hits during his last six games.
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Brewers' Joey Ortiz: Productive in win
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Ortiz went 3-for-4 with two doubles, one walk, two RBI and one run scored in Wednesday's 8-5 win over Atlanta.
This was Ortiz's second multi-hit effort in a row after he went a mere 7-for-50 (.140) over his first 14 games of the second half. The infielder also logged multiple RBI in a game for the first time since June 15. Despite his struggles at the plate, Ortiz has maintained steady playing time at third base. He's now at a .253/.353/.404 slash line with seven home runs, six stolen bases, 35 RBI, 39 runs scored, 16 doubles and three triples over 93 contests this year.
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Brewers' Joey Ortiz: Returns from IL
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The Brewers reinstated Ortiz (neck) from the 10-day injured list Friday.
Neck inflammation has plagued Ortiz since late June, though he didn't land on the injured list until July 3. He went 0-for-2 with a walk during his lone rehab game with High-A Wisconsin on Thursday and will now reclaim his role as Milwaukee's everyday third baseman. Vinny Capra was optioned to Triple-A Nashville in a corresponding move.
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Brewers' Joey Ortiz: Idle Tuesday
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Ortiz isn't in the Brewers' lineup for Tuesday's game versus Colorado.
Ortiz was held hitless in five at-bats during his return to the lineup Monday after missing the Brewers' last three games due to a neck injury. He'll get a day to regroup Tuesday while Andruw Monasterio starts at the hot corner and bats ninth.
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Brewers' Joey Ortiz: Returning to Milwaukee lineup
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Ortiz (neck) will start at third base and bat leadoff in Monday's game in Colorado.
Ortiz has been absent from the Brewers' lineup for the previous three contests due to neck discomfort, but he's been cleared to return for the start of a road trip. The 25-year-old returns to a .275/.380/.455 batting line.
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Brewers' Joey Ortiz: Not starting Sunday
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Ortiz (neck) is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Cubs, Sophia Minnaert of Bally Sports Wisconsin reports.
The 25-year-old is out of the lineup for the third straight game due to neck soreness, but his absence is viewed as precautionary. Ortiz's appearance as a pinch runner during Saturday's contest reinforces that sentiment. Andruw Monasterio will receive another start at the hot corner in Sunday's series finale.
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Brewers' Joey Ortiz: Scratched with neck soreness
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Ortiz was scratched from the Brewers' lineup ahead of Saturday's game versus the Cubs due to neck soreness.
Ortiz was originally in line to make his return to Milwaukee's lineup after neck problems kept him from playing Friday, but he'll instead require another day to rest up. As a result, Andruw Monasterio will pick up another start at third base and bat ninth.
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Brewers' Joey Ortiz: In Saturday's lineup
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Ortiz (neck) will start at third base and bat leadoff Saturday against the Cubs.
Ortiz made an early exit from Wednesday's game versus the Rangers and sat out Friday's series opener due to neck problems, but he's evidently feeling well enough to play Saturday. The 25-year-old has found a good amount of success at the plate recently, going 5-for-14 with a solo home run over his last five games.
