Sal Frelick leaves Brewers' second game against Royals with left side tightness

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Milwaukee Brewers right fielder Sal Frelick exited the second game of Saturday’s split doubleheader in the fourth inning with left side tightness.

In his second at-bat, Frelick grimaced as he lined a single to center.

After a lengthy discussion involving Brewers manager Pat Murphy and trainer Brad Epstein, Frelick left the game.

“He’s gonna be fine,” Murphy said after Milwaukee’s 8-2 loss to Kansas City in the second game. “It seems like it’s more muscular than anything. Sal’s so competitive he’s not going to take himself out, so we had to force him out of there.”

He was replaced by pinch runner Brandon Lockridge, who stole second and later stayed in the game to play left field as Blake Perkins moved to right field.

The injury had been bothering Frelick prior to the Brewers current road trip.

“He’s been feeling it,” said Murphy, who was noncommittal regarding Frelick’s availability for Sunday’s series finale. “We don’t think it’s oblique or anything like that. In testing he was fine.”

Frelick singled and walked during the Brewers 5-2 victory in the first game.

In eight games, Frelick is hitting .192 with a home run and two RBIs.

The 25-year-old is in his fourth season with Milwaukee, which selected him with the 15th overall pick in the 2021 amateur draft.

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