Chourio, Vaughn begin rehab stints with Nashville Sounds tonight

Jackson Chourio and Andrew Vaughn began the most important stretch of their recoveries in Nashville, where each was set for a controlled first look at game speed with Triple-A Sounds duty against Norfolk and a possible path back to Milwaukee by Monday, May 4, 2026.

The assignment was built around workload as much as results. Chourio and Vaughn were scheduled to play the first five innings of Wednesday night’s game at 6:35 p.m. CT, a short but revealing checkpoint for two Brewers regulars trying to prove their left hands can handle the demands of a full game. Chourio has not played at all this season, while Vaughn appeared in only one game before going on the injured list, so every swing and every defensive rep carries added weight.

Chourio’s case is the more dramatic of the two. He fractured his left hand on March 4, 2026, when he was hit by a pitch in a World Baseball Classic exhibition game against the Nationals in West Palm Beach, Florida. That injury delayed his start to the season entirely, and his rehab in Nashville now becomes the first real measure of whether he can return to the Brewers lineup without a setback. For Milwaukee, the key questions are timing, bat speed and whether Chourio can resume the everyday role that was expected of him before opening day.

Vaughn arrives with a different but equally important test. The first baseman also is coming back from a fractured bone in his left hand, and surgery kept him out for nearly the entire opening month. His rehab assignment is about more than getting back into the box; it is about showing the Brewers that his hand can absorb the repeated stress of catching throws, handling infield work and taking a full set of at-bats without compensation. If both players come through the stint cleanly, the club has targeted activation by Monday.

Luis Matos’ move to Nashville added another layer to the week’s roster picture. Matos cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A after being designated for assignment on April 24, keeping him in the organization as outfield depth. He went 4-for-20 with one walk and seven strikeouts in nine games with Milwaukee, a line that underscores why Chourio’s return matters so much for a Brewers team that spent April leaning on depth pieces and small-ball offense. In Nashville, the Sounds suddenly have two major-league names at the center of a rehab assignment that could reshape Milwaukee’s lineup by early next week.