PHOENIX — The Milwaukee Brewers realize that all of a sudden they have a problem on their hands.

It hasn’t come up in a single staff meeting, shown up in an analytics report or even casually discussed in the clubhouse.

But here we are, 173 days into the baseball season, and for the first time, the Brewers have no choice but to face the issue.

What in the world are they going to do about rookie sensation Jackson Chourio?

Oh, there’s nothing about his performance on the field that concerns them. This is a guy hitting .311 with 18 homers and 61 RBI since June 2 with a .929 OPS. Of his last 19 hits, 15 have gone for extra bases.

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Chourio is thriving off the field too. He been living with his parents from opening day until three weeks ago, and his teammates, coaching staff, clubhouse attendants, front office executives and scouts can’t stop gushing about him.

“He’s an unbelievable human,’ Brewers manager Pat Murphy says.

Says Brewers GM Matt Arnold: “You see this kid smiling all of the time, and engaging with his teammates. He’s just such a joy to have around.’

The Brewers are on the verge of clinching the National League Central, and considering all of the adversity they’ve faced the past 12 months – injuries to their stars, their manager bolting for the Cubs, their baseball chief leaving for the Mets and trading away a Cy Young award winner – they’re poised to have a celebration for the ages.

That’s the problem.

You see, Chourio just happens to be 20 years old. He doesn’t turn 21 for another six months.

Even in the beer-loving, beer-consuming, beer-guzzling tradition of Milwaukee, they must abide by the same laws as every other city in America.

So, what’s a ballclub to do?

“Oh my God, I didn’t think about that,’ Brewers starter Freddy Peralta, 28, says. “What are we going to do? Man, we’ve got to hurry up and think about what we’re going to do.’

Says Willy Adames, 29: “I know what we could do. We’re going to get him some apple juice. We’ll have a champagne shower. And he’s going to get an apple juice shower. We can’t get him into trouble.’

Catcher William Contreras, 26: “Great question. He’s just 20, right? That’s a problem. So water. Lots and lots of water.’

Catcher Eric Haase, 31: “I don’t think anyone’s going to be enforcing any rules. He’s a huge part of this team. He should be able to do anything he wants.’

Chourio laughs when posed the question, believing that an ice shower will be just fine, until it finally hit Peralta.

“I got it,’’ Peralta blurted out, “I got it. We’ll get some non-alcoholic beers and spray him. You know, those O’Doul’s. That will be perfect.

“I know we’ve got to do something because he’s meant way too much to this team.’

Chourio, the Brewers’ youngest everyday player since Hall of Famer Robin Yount in 1975, has been invaluable to the team this season. He’s living up to every ounce of the hype as one of baseball’s top prospects, becoming the youngest player in history to hit 20 homers and steal 20 bases in a season, hitting .276 with 21 homers and 77 RBI as a rookie.

The Brewers, who started scouting Chourio when he was just 11 years old in Venezuela, gave him a $1.8 million international signing bonus when he was 16, and then signed him to an eight-year, $82 million contract in December when he was 19. It was the richest contract given to a player without playing a single game in the major leagues.

Chourio, who was informed midway through spring training that he’d make the opening-day roster, concedes that he felt pressure to live up to the contract. He was hyped as a future star, paid like one, and wanted to immediately live up to the billing.

The burden overpowered him, and after two months, was hitting just .210 and a .581 OPS, with only nine extra-base hits, striking out 47 times in just 162 at-bats.

“When you have a tough start, it’s tough for anybody,’ Adames says, “especially for him being 20 years old and learning the game in the big leagues for the first time. It was super tough. Obviously, he was very hyped up by everyone.

“At the beginning, we kind of wanted him to figure it out on his own. Then, when he kept struggling, we said, ‘OK now we have to help him. We said, ‘Don’t worry. Things are going to be fine. Things are going to be great in September.’ Then, he started to pick it up, got hot, and he hasn’t stopped.

“Now it’s like, holy smokes. This guy is the real deal. He’s showing the world what type of player he is because I’m sure people were doubting him in the beginning.’

Even with those struggles, sometimes sitting on the bench for multiple games, Chourio never let anyone see signs of weakness. He would show up early for pre-game workouts, kept believing this would be the day he would break though, and even after a hitless night with three strikeouts, would leave the clubhouse smiling.

“We knew he was going to be a superstar, but it was tough for him going through that,’ Peralta says. “You could see he was frustrated, because he wanted to prove why he got paid. But he was the same kid in the clubhouse. He was still cracking jokes.

“I remember talking to him that first month and I don’t know why, but he listened to me. I said, ‘Bro, you better remember this, but at some point this season, you’re going to be hitting .270 with 15 homers.’

“I tell him now, ‘Look at where you are. You’re a superstar, boy.”

Chourio has put himself in the middle of the Rookie of the Year discussion, leading the NL with a .311 batting average since June 2, and ranking in the top five in on-base percentage (.370), slugging percentage (.569) and OPS (.929). He has 61 RBI and 43 extra-base hits in the stretch, going from a .542 OPS in May to a .897 OPS in June, .878 in July, .925 in August and a 1.033 in September.

“This kid just continues to be better and better,’ Arnold says. “We made a big bet when we originally signed him, and he’s been everything we could have hoped for and more. He’s got all of the ingredients to have an incredibly high ceiling. We’re seeing him do things in the sport that haven’t been done at his age.’’

Who knows, that two-month slump could be the best thing that happened to Chourio.

“I wasn’t really expecting him to come up and light the league on fire right away,’ Brewers All-Star outfielder Christian Yelich says, “because it’s not how Major League Baseball works. He came up with all of those expectations and struggled. But to not get discouraged by that, and to make the adjustments and look so comfortable now, is really, really impressive.

“He looks so much more confident, and he’s so dangerous up there now. For him to be able to do this at 20, just think what he’ll do when he gets experience two, three, four years from now. He’s got crazy tools.’

Chourio, who received about 50 congratulatory phone calls and text messages last week after achieving the 20-20 feat, is as curious as anyone what lies ahead, but man, he’s sure having a blast in the present.

“Honestly, this has been a season of my dreams,’ says Chourio through assistant coach/interpreter Daniel de Mondesert. “It’s hard to expect something like this season, but it’s something I really wanted to achieve, especially the homers.

“And it definitely makes it more fun that we’re winning.’

The native of Maracaibo, Venezuela is slowly starting to get noticed off the field, but when he’s not playing the outfield at American Family Field, he’s at home playing video games – with Call of Duty, MLB The Show and FIFA among his favorites.

“I’ve just had so much fun this year, and so much support from my family and teammates,’ Chourio says. “People back home are excited, too, shooting me messages that they’re proud of what I’m doing. Really, I can’t ask for anything more.’’

Well, except for seeking perhaps a temporary exemption when it comes to that division-clinching celebration, with the Brewers’ magic number at 2 entering Tuesday’s game against the Philadelphia Phillies.

It could be an evening Chourio remembers forever.

After all, he says, never once has he been on a baseball team that ever won a playoff berth in his life.

“This will be my first celebration,’ Chourio says. “Hopefully, the first of many. I don’t know what they’ll do for me. Hopefully, they’re going to have to have some non-alcoholic cups for me.’

Well, at least this time around. After all, he’ll be 21 next year.

“I can’t wait,’ Chourio says, laughing.

Neither can the Brewers.

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Jesus Sanchez went 5-for-5 with three RBIs, two doubles and two runs as the Miami Marlins defeated the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers, 11-9, on Tuesday night.

Shohei Ohtani slugged his National League-leading 48th homer, finishing 1-for-5 with two RBIs for the Dodgers (89-62).

Ohtani, who ranks second in the majors with 48 stolen bases, did not add to his steal total. He is trying to become the first major-leaguer ever to have 50 homers and 50 steals in the same season.

Max Muncy went 3-for-5 with five RBIs for the Dodgers. He hit a two-run double in the ninth inning, but Marlins reliever Jesus Tinoco struck out Tommy Edman looking at a 1-2 slider to end the game with Muncy on second.

Former Marlins shortstop Miguel Rojas also homered for the Dodgers, as his blast went off the glove of Sanchez in left field.

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Jake Burger had a big game for Miami with four RBIs. He had a pair of RBI groundouts and a two-run homer.

The Marlins, who had lost six of their previous seven and have the worst record in the National League at 56-95, also got an RBI triple and an RBI double from Kyle Stowers.

Miami opened the scoring with two runs in the first inning on an RBI singles from Sanchez and Jonah Bride.

Miami stretched its lead to 4-0 in the second on Sanchez’s second RBI single of the night and a run-scoring grounder from Burger.

Los Angeles tied the score 4-4 in the third. Hunter Feduccia singled before Ohtani crushed a 1-1 sweeper that was low and out of the strike zone for a 402-foot homer to right.

The rally continued with singles by Freddie Freeman and Teoscar Hernandez, followed by Muncy’s two-run double.

Miami took a 5-4 lead in the bottom the third on Otto Lopez’s solo homer, but Rojas’ fourth-inning dinger tied the score.

The Marlins took for the lead for good in the bottom of the fourth, going up 7-5 on a rally started by Connor Norby’s double. Sanchez (double) and Stowers (triple) contributed RBI hits, both pulled down the right field line.

Los Angeles cut its deficit to 7-6 in the fifth as Mookie Betts tripled and scored on Freeman’s sacrifice fly.

Miami scored three times in the sixth, a frame capped by a Stowers run-scoring double, to start to pull away.

Joshua, 28, said he is continuing to recover from surgery but intends on playing in the 2024-25 season.

‘This summer, I felt a lump on one of my testicles that doctors would later diagnose as testicular cancer,’ Joshua said in a statement released by the Canucks. ‘This news was obviously scary to hear, but thankfully, doctors were able to successfully remove the tumor. The last several weeks have been extremely challenging and I’ve been fortunate to have the support of my family, friends, teammates and doctors.

‘Unfortunately, I will not be ready for the start of training camp as I continue to heal from surgery. I plan on returning to play as soon as possible this season and I am working hard every day (to) re-join my teammates.’

Joshua hails from Michigan and broke into the NHL in the 2020-21 season with the St. Louis Blues. He played parts of two seasons with the Blues before signing with Vancouver as a free agent and earning a larger role there.

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In 63 games last season, Joshua collected 18 goals and 14 assists for 32 points, all career highs. He has totaled 64 points (33 goals, 31 assists), 567 hits and 143 penalty minutes in 184 career games with the Blues and Canucks.

‘Although it was very difficult to face the reality of this specific type of cancer, getting checked by a doctor quickly was the best approach and I encourage men to get checked regularly for testicular cancer,’ Joshua said. ‘As I continue with my recovery, I thank everyone in advance for respecting my privacy concerning this matter. The team will provide updates as appropriate. In the meantime, I thank everyone for their support and understanding.’

The college football season will pass the first-quarter mark this week and the playoff field should start to gather more focus in Week 4 as conference play heats up. That leads to some further changes to this week’s bowl projections.

An inflection point comes Saturday when Oklahoma hosts Tennessee as the Sooners start their inaugural SEC season with an early challenge. The visiting Volunteers are the ones expected to win and that victory allows them to edge out Mississippi as the fourth SEC team in the field. There’s not much between the two teams but the quality of victory for Tennessee gives it the advantage for now.

In one other significant change to the field, Kansas State has swapped places with Big 12 counterpart Utah. The Wildcats, off their impressive win against Arizona, now are in a spot reserved for a conference champion, while the Utes fall back to at-large status. There could be more movement ahead with Utah visiting Oklahoma State in an early showdown in the league.

Note: Legacy Pac-12 schools in other conferences will fulfill existing Pac-12 bowl agreements through the 2025 season.

Houston Texans running back Joe Mixon has joined the chorus of NFL players criticizing the league’s enforcement of a new rule this season banning what’s commonly known as a hip-drop tackle.

Mixon was injured in Sunday night’s 19-13 win over the Chicago Bears when linebacker T.J. Edwards came down on Mixon’s ankle early in the third quarter. After leaving the game for treatment, Mixon came back on the field later in the quarter, but played only seven more snaps the rest of the game.

No penalty was called on Edwards’ tackle, and Mixon expressed his disdain on social media after the game: ‘The NFL and NFLPA made it a rule and an emphasis for a reason. Time to put your money where your mouth is.’

GRAPHIC: What is a hip-drop tackle?

After reviewing game film of the play, Texans coach DeMeco Ryans told reporters Monday afternoon he thought the tackle was a violation.

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‘It definitely in my mind, is considered the hip-drop,’ Ryans said. ‘When the defender unweights himself and then he puts all of his weight on the runner’s legs, you see why they want to get the hip-drop tackle out of the game. Because it causes a lot of injuries when it happens.’

Mixon wasn’t the only high-profile player upset over the new rule’s enforcement in Week 2.

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase was hit with a costly 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty in a 26-25 loss to Kansas City for complaining to officials for what he later told USA TODAY Sports was in response to an illegal hip-drop tackle.

When the NFL instituted the ban on the swivel hip-drop tackle for safety reasons this spring, there was significant pushback from some players, coaches and even the NFL Players Association about how the technique would be officiated.

After the first two weeks of the regular season, their concerns appear to be warranted.

The race for the College Football Playoff is beginning to take shape as the Bowl Subdivision turns to conference play.

What do we know?

One, that the SEC has so far lived up to expectations. The conference has a deep stable of contenders for the 12-team field, led by Georgia, Texas and Alabama. Two, that the Big Ten should likewise have three or more teams in the playoff. Ohio State, Oregon and Penn State make this week’s cut.

Three, that the competition for the Group of Five’s playoff bid has coalesced around Memphis, now 3-0 after winning at Florida State. And four, that Cam Ward and Miami have risen to the top of the ACC ladder while Utah and Kansas State have stepped up as the Big 12 frontrunners.

Here’s how USA TODAY Sports sees the playoff unfolding heading into Week 4:

Bracketology: Projecting the College Football Playoff field

There are four teams from the SEC in this week’s bracket but several others lurking just outside the 12-team conversation. As expected in the preseason, the conference will have more credible playoff contenders than any other Power Four league.

For now, it’s easier to list the SEC teams that clearly won’t be in the playoff mix or are essentially already eliminated from contention. That would be Arkansas, Auburn, Florida, Kentucky, Mississippi State and Vanderbilt.

One team that seems almost certain to drop off the map with the start of the SEC season is Oklahoma, which has remained steady at No. 13 in the US LBM Coaches Poll despite unimpressive wins against Houston and Tulane. The Sooners will host Tennessee this weekend with games ahead against Texas, Mississippi, Missouri and LSU.

That Georgia struggled to put away Kentucky on Saturday night doesn’t necessarily say anything major about the Bulldogs, who are prone to play down to their competition during these early-season conference matchups.

But that 13-12 final does show how the SEC will very likely cannibalize itself once league play kicks into high gear later this month. Is it realistic to think that more than four teams will have the records and resumés to make the playoff? The SEC hasn’t had more than four teams post double-digit wins during the regular season since 2012; hitting that threshold should be even harder with this year’s additions of the Longhorns and Sooners.

First four teams out

Mississippi

The toughest decision in this week’s projection was picking between Tennessee and the Rebels, two teams that have more than looked the part through three weeks. While the Volunteers earned the nod, Ole Miss is very clearly an elite team capable of making noise in the SEC and locking down an at-large bid with some room to spare. Door remains open for the Rebels, who face Georgia and Oklahoma at home and travel to LSU.

Missouri

The selection committee should end up looking favorably at Saturday’s non-conference win against Boston College. And Missouri could use the help. This year’s SEC schedule smooths the way to a 10-win regular season but could lack the marquee matchups needed to give the Tigers the benefit of the doubt against another Power Four contender with a similar record but better resume.

Notre Dame

It will be hard for Notre Dame to shake off the stink of the loss to Northern Illinois. But the Irish turned the page with an impressive blowout of Purdue and seem back on track for 10 wins during the regular season. (Though they did lose to NIU, so anything can and often does happen.)

Southern California

The Trojans have looked good through two games. But after beating LSU in the opener, the Trojans need the Tigers to kick into high gear after a sloppy win on Saturday against South Carolina. This weekend’s trip to Michigan will give us a deeper perspective on USC, even as the Wolverines struggle to get anything going on offense.

Four teams to watch

Iowa State

Iowa State can book a playoff berth by simply winning the Big 12, of course, but the Cyclones helped build an at-large case with this month’s road win against rival Iowa. On paper, Iowa State has a very friendly schedule before taking on Utah (away) and Kansas State (home) to end the regular season. The Cyclones could be in this conversation into November.

Nebraska

Unbeaten Nebraska also owns a schedule that could push the No. 22 Cornhuskers higher and higher in the US LBM Coaches Poll before going to Ohio State on Oct. 26. The next four games against Illinois, Purdue, Rutgers and Indiana are all winnable, setting up a potentially huge showdown with the Buckeyes.

Washington State

Washington State has already notched two Power Four wins: Texas Tech (37-16) and Washington (24-19). Eight of the Cougars’ final nine games come against the Mountain West — the ninth comes at Oregon State — and they won’t have a conference championship to show to the selection committee, making road games against Boise State, Fresno State and the Beavers mandatory wins to get an at-large berth.

Toledo

Toledo is probably the trendiest team in the Group of Five after whipping Mississippi State 41-17 on the road. That eyebrow-raising result is just what the Rockets needed to get a foothold in the Group of Five conversation. But they’ll need to win 11 or more games and have Memphis lose twice to overcome the edge the American holds over the MAC.