Mitchell, Ashby eye late-season return as Brewers extend division lead

MILWAUKEE -- Outfielder Garrett Mitchell and left-hander Aaron Ashby checked into American Family Field on Tuesday as the Brewers began their third consecutive series against a fellow first-place team. At this rate, this building will host meaningful baseball all the way to the end of the season.

And if all goes to plan, those two young, talented players will get to help.

“It’s a fine line of, ‘Can I make it back in time to make it work?’” Mitchell said before the Brewers’ 7-3 win over the Twins. “I feel really good, I feel strong. I’m glad to be doing baseball activities because before it was, like, ‘You’re not going to make it back, wait til next year.’ That didn’t sit well with me.”

Said Ashby: “I would love to [pitch this season]. That’s why we’re here. That’s why we’re working … to nail these last couple things down. I think we’re really close.”

Of course, a postseason berth would buy extra time. The Brewers kept trending in that direction Tuesday night, when a flurry of well-placed singles in the sixth inning turned a 3-2 deficit into a 7-3 lead on the way to Milwaukee’s fourth consecutive victory. Sometimes, hitters are rewarded for putting the ball in play, and this was one of those innings.

The four consecutive run-scoring hits started with Mark Canha’s game-tying bouncer through the right side, then Tyrone Taylor’s go-ahead bloop that left his bat at 64.2 mph. That pair of knocks was followed by Brice Turang’s 62.9 mph liner off shortstop Carlos Correa’s glove, and Brian Anderson’s two-run hit through the middle of a drawn-in infield for his first RBIs since July 5.

At 3 1/2 games ahead of the second-place Cubs, the Brewers matched their largest lead in the NL Central all season while pushing 12 games over .500 for the first time.

“I think everything’s finally coming together,” said winning pitcher Bryse Wilson, who pitched two scoreless innings in relief, one before and after the Brewers’ big rally. “You’ve seen glimpses of how well we can throw it, glimpses of how well we can hit the baseball. Now, we’re actually throwing the ball well and hitting at the same time.”

Even if they keep that up and the season stretches into October, the schedule is tight for both Ashby and Mitchell as they continue long comebacks from labrum surgery -- Ashby’s in April and Mitchell’s in May. Mitchell is considered ahead of schedule, considering he suffered a complete tear of the labrum in his left, non-throwing shoulder on a dive into third base in Seattle on April 18. Ashby, meanwhile, has taken longer than initially expected to recover from an injury he suffered as he began to ramp-up for Spring Training.

They both have an eye on the Triple-A Nashville schedule. The Sounds finish their season with a weeklong homestand at home from Sept. 19-24, a week earlier than the Brewers.

That means time is growing short, particularly for Mitchell, who might not be ready for games until that final Triple-A homestand.

“That we’re talking about him playing again this year -- just having that conversation is successful,” Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. “He should be very happy with how the summer went and the work he’s put in to get to this point, even.

“It’s tight, whether he can impact us, but he’s got a good chance to get back on the field and that’s a good thing.”

Mitchell has been hitting and throwing for several weeks, but said he still needs to build arm strength to handle the volume of both that comes with playing games every day. He has followed more of a straight line in his comeback than Ashby, who had hoped to be in the midst of a Minor League rehab assignment by now, but instead remains in a series of bullpens and live batting practice.

“The velocity isn’t coming quite as quickly as we’d hoped, but everything feels good,” said Ashby, who anticipates throwing a light bullpen on Wednesday followed by a higher-intensity session over the weekend. “It’s just a matter of getting quality reps and getting everything sequenced back together to feel good. …

“The sequencing, it just doesn’t quite line up yet. When I say that, just how I’m moving on the mound. It’s just something that takes a little bit to get the hang of. As we get closer, today was another really good day working with Jim [Henderson, Milwaukee’s bullpen coach]. Every time I come up here, it’s something positive.”

Ashby figures he developed some bad habits mechanically either before the injury was diagnosed or early in his comeback, and they have been hard to break. But he’s been able to throw all of his pitches, he said.

“Health-wise we’re in a better place than we were two weeks ago,” Counsell said. “He’s getting better every day. We talked about this, we want him closer to a version we’ve seen before.”

So, the players will continue to work.

This week’s visit makes it seem close.

“If it was up to me, I’d say put me out there tomorrow,” Mitchell said. “Again, it’s about health and longevity and a long career. It’s not about just making it back for a few games. Hopefully I’m able to do both -- make it back and be healthy this year for a playoff push at the end. I’m prepared for everything.”