Tellez set for Triple-A rehab, could return Fri.

ST. LOUIS -- Brewers first baseman Rowdy Tellez always hoped to return from his right knee injury before the end of the regular season, but now he has an actual itinerary.

Tellez, who has been sidelined since Sept. 11 by a patella strain that has nagged him off and on for several years, was scheduled to travel to Indianapolis on Tuesday night to join the Triple-A Nashville Sounds for a quick rehab assignment; 2-3 at-bats and 5-6 innings at first base on Wednesday and Thursday. Assuming there are no setbacks, Tellez would rejoin the Brewers on Friday in Los Angeles for perhaps one at-bat that night, followed by more action at first base on Saturday and Sunday in the final two games of the regular season.

“And then be ready for the playoffs,” Tellez said. “Fifteen at-bats is ideal. I’m just excited to be back and be able to play. I feel even better than when I initially came here or when I started the season. My knee feels great.”

A midseason trade acquisition from the Blue Jays, Tellez had a .270/.329/.474 slash line in his first 54 games with the Brewers. He has also come up with several big hits, most notably the walk-off single that gave manager Craig Counsell career victory No. 500. Tellez has also shown soft hands at first base on low throws from Milwaukee infielders.

Left-handed hitters Daniel Vogelbach and Jace Peterson and switch-hitting Eduardo Escobar have handled first base in Tellez’s absence, so the Brewers are covered in the event of a setback. But Tellez aims to give them a jolt.

“I’ve seen some of the velo machine, I stood in on some bullpens from [Adrian] Houser and [Brandon Woodruff], who obviously throws fuel. So two weeks during the season isn’t as bad as missing time in the beginning of the year when you’re not comfortable. We’re in the end, so I’ve seen a lot of pitches. I just want to be as comfortable as I can. In April, hitters are still not quite there yet after Spring Training. Late in the year, I’ve seen pitching. I just need to get comfortable again to get in that rhythm.”

Based on conversations with the Brewers' medical staff, Tellez does not expect the injury to require a surgical clean-up during the offseason. Last year, after missing time down the stretch with the Blue Jays because of the same issue, he underwent platelet-rich plasma treatment.

Tellez has one more pre-arbitration season in 2022 before he qualifies for a raise, and the Brewers acquired him with that contractual control in mind.

“Because I’m a left-handed hitter, left-handed thrower, we favor our left side,” Tellez said. “I wasn’t strengthening properly, wasn’t prepping it properly, and basically it’s just tendinitis. It’s just ‘junky’ in there. There’s a lot of stuff going on. I had to strengthen the tendon to basically be able to play pain-free, or where I can tolerate it.

“Being a big dude, it’s hard to slow down. I think there’s a lot of things that went into it. Tight body, tight quads, tight calves, so we had to loosen all of that. … That’s why we’re going down there [to Nashville] too, just to play a little defense to get acclimated again. I’m not too worried. I feel really good. I’m excited.”