Milwaukee Brewers prospect Brock Wilken sustained multiple fractures when he was struck in the face by a pitch Thursday night.
The 21-year-old third baseman, playing for Double-A Biloxi, was leading off the top of the sixth inning when he was struck by a 94 mph fastball from Mississippi right-hander Domingo Gonzalez.
Wilken was eventually able to walk off the field under his own power. He did not have a concussion or experience vision issues but surgery is likely when the swelling goes down, according to Brewers general manager Matt Arnold.
Wilken was placed on the 7-day injured list Friday. He is the second highly regarded Brewers prospect to get injured this season. Catcher Jeferson Quero will miss the rest of the season after tearing a labrum in his right, throwing, shoulder while diving back to first base in Triple-A Nashville’s opener at Toledo on March 29.
Wilken was Milwaukee’s first-round draft pick (18th overall) in 2023 out of Wake Forest. He entered the season as the No. 97 overall prospect in baseball, according to ESPN’s rankings.
He is batting .167 (3-for-18) with one double and eight strikeouts through five games this season. Wilken batted a combined .285 with five homers and 29 RBIs in 47 games last season across three levels in the minors.
Field Level Media and The Associated Press contributed to this report.