PHILADELPHIA - It was another active day for the Milwaukee Brewers with their injury list Monday but this time in a good way.
Outfielders Christian Yelich and Lorenzo Cain were activated from the 10-day injured list and immediately placed in the starting lineup for the series opener against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. Yelich had been out three weeks with lower back discomfort and Cain had been sidelined nearly as long with a left quadriceps strain.
The Brewers' burgeoning injured list reached an incredible 17 players over the weekend so manager Craig Counsell said it felt great just to have traffic head in the opposite direction.
"We're excited to have them back," Counsell said. "We haven't been activating players lately so just to activate some players is a change of how last week went, that's for sure.
"This past home stand, we've been targeting the same day (for Yelich and Cain to return). They've been on the same schedule; done the same things on the field the last three or four days. Early on this road trip was kind of what we were thinking."
With the start of the minor leagues delayed until Tuesday because of COVID-19 considerations, there was no opportunity to send either Yelich or Cain out to play games, so they will return to action cold-turkey for the most part. They did get some at-bats against live pitching in simulated action.
"There were no options," Counsell said. "Kolten Wong went through the same thing (coming back from an oblique injury). You're a little bit stuck there. You're limited in what we had to offer. It's just part of it. I don't think you necessarily know how it's going to turn out.
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"We might have different results – one guy starts out hot, one guy starts out cold. You don't know. You'd always prefer a couple games (to get ready) but I don't think it's completely necessary or mandatory."
To open roster spots, the Brewers optioned first baseman Keston Hiura and outfielder Tyrone Taylor to Class AAA Nashville. Hiura was mired in a season-long slump, batting .152 with a .513 OPS, one homer, five runs batted in and 32 strikeouts in 89 plate appearances, and it was decided the time had come to take some pressure off him with a change of scenery.
"It's a decision we discussed a whole week, really, in advance of this," Counsell said. "At this point, it's just best for Keston to get to a different environment, maybe take a little time off here before he starts playing in games again. Then, just get started in a new environment.
"We still really believe Keston can be our primary first baseman and has the ability to be a force in the middle of our lineup. We just weren't there and it felt like we almost were getting farther from that than closer. I really think this is going to benefit Keston. I think it could be a short-term thing and he can be back, and being a productive offensive player fairly quickly.
"This will provide a mental re-start for him, a little bit. When you're going through things like this, speaking from experience, a coach can say things to you and it doesn't process. Nothing really makes sense when you step in the (batter's) box. Sometimes, just different scenario and a different voice helps that."
Without Hiura, Counsell said his primary options at first base are two left-handed hitters, Daniel Vogelbach and Billy McKinney, who had been getting regular action in left field in Yelich's absence.
"I think with Lorenzo and Christian back, you're going to see Billy a little more in the infield," Counsell said.
Taylor certainly didn't struggle at the plate when he got to play. In 16 games, he batted .323 with a .981 OPS, two homers and seven RBI.
Lauer felt for Bettinger
As right-hander Alec Bettinger struggled mightily in his major-league debut for the Brewers on Sunday against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Eric Lauer watched from the home dugout at American Family Field and understood exactly the agony he was experiencing. Bettinger surrendered grand slams in the first and second innings and was tagged for 11 runs in four innings while pitching four badly needed innings for an injury-thinned staff in a 16-4 thumping.
When Lauer made his MLB debut on April 24, 2018 for the San Diego Padres against the Colorado Rockies, he also got rocked early. He didn’t surrender two grand slams but he did yield one by Trevor Story in the second inning.
In three innings that day, the young lefty surrendered six hits, four walks and seven runs (six earned) in an 8-0 loss to the Rockies.
“It's definitely a lonely feeling,” Lauer said. “I was thinking back to my debut and it was pretty similar to his, actually. It's a really lonely feeling when you're out there and that stuff's kind of happening around you.
“My major-league debut was pretty brutal. It was an all-around tough day. It's definitely not the way you want your debut to go. But that's the great thing about baseball, is you're going to have another opportunity.
“It was less like the pitching situation that we were in for him. Mine was more just, it was in Colorado, not a great place to debut. There was like a 45-minute sleet delay. There was freezing rain.”
It was not a complete nightmare for Lauer, however. In his very first at-bat in the majors, against left-hander Kyle Freeland, who won 17 games that year, he collected a base hit.
“The positive that came out of my debut was nothing to do with pitching. Just hitting,” Lauer said with a smile. “I was batting 1.000 at one point in my career.”
Lauer didn’t want to give Bettinger too much to think about afterward but did check in with him afterward to make sure he was OK.
“I was just seeing how he felt, trying to make sure he knew that it was still a really cool experience for him. It’s not the end of the world. It’s not the end of his career. ‘You’ve got plenty left in you, so just keep rolling.’”
Bickford claimed by Dodgers
Right-hander Phil Bickford, who was designated for assignment Wednesday to open a 40-man roster spot for right-hander Zack Godley, was claimed off waivers by the Los Angeles Dodgers on Monday.
Bickford, 25, was with the Brewers only three days and made one appearance, allowing two hits and two runs with a walk and home run in one inning against Miami. He also made just one appearance last season for the Brewers, surrendering four runs in one inning against the Detroit Tigers.
Bickford was acquired with catcher Andrew Susac in a trade with San Francisco for left-hander Will Smith on Aug. 1, 2016. Susac appeared in 17 games for the Brewers in 2016-17 before being sold to the Baltimore Orioles on Feb. 2, 2018.
The Link LonkMay 04, 2021 at 06:10AM
https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/mlb/brewers/2021/05/03/brewers-activate-christian-yelich-lorenzo-cain-send-out-hiura-taylor/4920277001/
Brewers activate Christian Yelich, Lorenzo Cain from injured list, send out Keston Hiura and Tyrone Taylor - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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