Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy taught rookie shortstop Cooper Pratt a big lesson Tuesday, benching the young player during the series opener against the New York Mets at Citi Field in Queens, N.Y.
In the fifth inning of the contest, the 22-year-old Pratt did not immediately run to first base after making contact with the ball.
Pratt could have reached second base if he had shown more urgency getting out of the box, but instead, he had to settle for first base on a pop-up.
Here is a look at that play.
Pat Murphy benched rookie Cooper Pratt mid game for not running hard out of the box pic.twitter.com/qWWA1BFGUn
— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) August 26, 2026
Pratt was immediately replaced in the game by David Hamilton. The Brewers did not score during that inning, further highlighting the mistake the shortstop made. The Brewers ultimately lost the game, 3-2.
While Milwaukee still owns the best record (81-51 ) in baseball despite the loss to the Mets, Murphy knows he constantly needs to keep his players on their toes.
“It’s for the player and the team,” Murphy, a two-time National League Manager of the Year Award winner, said after the game, via Adam McCalvy of MLB.com.
“I love [Pratt] and I believe in the kid immensely. But he’s got to be a player who does those things. He’s not going to hit 30 homers at this point in his career. He’s a great defender and a really capable offensive player, and he can’t have that. It’s just not tolerated by anybody, and it sends a message to everybody else, too. You’ve got to run.”
Pratt will look to apply the lesson he learned going forward, with the Brewers hoping to end their two-game losing skid when they face the Mets again Wednesday.
