FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Patriots wide receiver A.J. Brown is a step closer to returning to game action.
Brown was back on the practice field on Wednesday for the first time since being placed on injured reserve last month with a high ankle sprain.
He became eligible to return after missing the last four games. He now must be activated within 21 days or placed on season-ending IR.
Cornerback Christian Gonzalez also practiced after missing the last two games with a shoulder issue. In addition, offensive lineman Marcus Bryant (ankle) returned after being placed io injured reserve during the preseason.
Brown was injured in the second half of New England’s season-opening 13-10 loss at Seattle on Sept. 9. He left the game early in the third quarter following an incomplete pass from quarterback Drake Maye. He was falling to the turf as he tried to make the catch, and Seahawks cornerback Nehemiah Pritchett’s knee made contact with Brown’s ankle, pushing it against the ground. Brown had three catches for 26 yards before the injury.
“I think he’s stayed engaged,” coach Mike Vrabel said. “I think it’s difficult sometimes to stay engaged. I think his routine was really good, his ability to be around guys in the meetings and then also focus on rehab. He’s just treating everything as a pro, being where he’s supposed to be and working hard to get back.”
During the portion of practice open to the media Wednesday, Brown could be seen smiling at times as he went through some light drills with his right ankle heavily wrapped with tape.
“It’s a warm welcome in the huddle to have him back in there,” Maye said. “You can see how closely he's been watching the games. Little things he picks up on, you can tell he really watching and really cares. ...There’s not many like him that are around here in this league.”
Patriots safety Kevin Byard said Brown’s return brings instant energy to the sideline.
“Huge boost. He’s a receiver (No. 1),” Byard said. “Very talented guy as far as the pass game. Obviously, the last couple of weeks our pass game has been playing really well. So, he’s obviously just going to add another dynamic to that. And hopefully we’ll continue have a good passing game with A.J. in there.”
Brown’s fellow receivers – Mack Hollins, Romeo Doubs, Pop Douglas, Kyle Williams and Efton Chism – have stepped up without him, accounting for six touchdown catches in his absence, and the Patriots have gone 3-1 with Brown on the shelf. Maye is coming off passing for a season-high 374 yards and four touchdowns last week against the Las Vegas Raiders.
Brown’s potential return to the lineup is perfect timing with Hollins going on injured reserve with a calf injury last week.
But Maye said Brown returning to the mix gives him another option to spread the ball around to in the passing game.
“We have a lot of guys that can make plays. So it's going to be tough on defenses,” Maye said.
See AP’s full NFL coverage here
FILE - New England Patriots wide receiver A.J. Brown (1) is tended to after an injury during the second half of an NFL football game against the Seattle Seahawks, Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson, File)
FILE - New England Patriots wide receiver A.J. Brown looks on during warmups before an NFL football game against the Seattle Seahawks, Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Stephen Brashear, File)
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Jake Bauers and Garrett Mitchell hit back-to-back homers off Blake Snell to regain the lead in the seventh inning, and the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-2 on Wednesday to take a 3-0 lead in the National League Championship Series.
Los Angeles had just taken a 2-1 lead in the sixth before getting stunned. The loss pushed the two-time defending World Series champions to the brink of elimination.
The only other time the Dodgers trailed 3-0 in a best-of-seven postseason series, they were swept by the Baltimore Orioles in the 1966 World Series.
Game 4 is Thursday at Dodger Stadium, where the Brewers can become the first major league club to complete a postseason sweep after getting swept by that same opponent in the previous postseason. Los Angeles took all four games against Milwaukee in the NLCS last year.
The only team in big league history to come back from a 3-0 deficit to win a postseason series was the Boston Red Sox in the 2004 AL Championship Series against the New York Yankees.
Coming into the seventh, Snell had retired 14 batters in a row. The first pitch of the game thrown by the two-time Cy Young Award winner hit for a home run by Jackson Chourio, and his last pitch was Mitchell's solo shot.
Andrew Vaughn drew a seven-pitch walk to open the inning and was replaced by pinch-runner Christian Yelich. Bauers followed with a 412-foot shot to right field on the 11th pitch of the at-bat for a 3-2 lead as most of Milwaukee's dugout came onto the field to celebrate. Mitchell was next and his drive traveled 428 feet to right-center, chasing Snell.
It was the latest relentless plate appearance for Bauers, who drew a 12-pitch walk from Yoshinobu Yamamoto that helped the Brewers go ahead early in Game 3.
Milwaukee, which has never beaten the Dodgers in three previous playoff series, is chasing its second pennant and first in the National League. The Brewers were in the American League when they reached their only World Series, a seven-game loss to the St. Louis Cardinals in 1982.
Snell gave up four runs and four hits in six innings, struck out nine and walked two.
The Brewers extended the lead to 5-2 in the eighth on Justin Wrobleski's wild pitch that scored Brice Turang, who reached on an infield single and advanced to third on William Contreras' single. They added another run on Joey Ortiz's two-strike RBI single in the ninth.
The offensively starved Dodgers took their first lead, 2-1, on Will Smith's two-run double off reliever Abner Uribe in the sixth.
Uribe followed rookie starter Robert Gasser and he loaded the bases on walks to Teoscar Hernández, Kyle Tucker and Shohei Ohtani. Smith, who was 1 for 25 in the playoffs, doubled off the left-center fence for his first hit of the NLCS.
DL Hall took over from Uribe and stranded runners at second and third by striking out pinch-hitter Kiké Hernández and Tommy Edman.
Hall allowed one hit in 2 1/3 scoreless innings to improve to 3-0 in these playoffs. Trevor Megill got four outs for his second save of the series and fourth this postseason.
The Dodgers played from behind again after the 22-year-old Chourio connected for his third career leadoff homer as fans were still heading to their seats.
After that, Mitchell walked and Cooper Pratt singled in the second before Snell retired 14 in a row — six on strikeouts — before getting hammered in the seventh.
The Dodgers had runners on base in all but three innings, but couldn't get enough across. They have yet to homer in the NLCS.
Ohtani was 1 for 2 with a walk while hitting sixth in the order, the lowest he's batted since joining the Dodgers three years ago.
See AP’s full MLB coverage here
Milwaukee Brewers center fielder Garrett Mitchell catches a fly out hit by Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Tommy Edman during the fifth inning of Game 3 of baseball's National League Championship Series between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Los Angeles Dodgers, Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Blake Snell walks off the mound during the seventh inning of Game 3 of baseball's National League Championship Series between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Los Angeles Dodgers, Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
Milwaukee Brewers left fielder Jackson Chourio watches his solo home run take flight during the first inning of Game 3 of baseball's National League Championship Series between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Los Angeles Dodgers, Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
Milwaukee Brewers center fielder Garrett Mitchell yells towards his dugout after hitting a solo home run during the seventh inning of Game 3 of baseball's National League Championship Series between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Los Angeles Dodgers, Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Jake Bauers connects for a two run home run during the seventh inning of Game 3 of baseball's National League Championship Series between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Los Angeles Dodgers, Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
