Braun will start opener at first
PHOENIX - Experimentation is about to turn into implementation. Milwaukee Brewers manager
Craig Counsell confirmed Friday that Ryan Braun will indeed serve as the primary starter at first base when the team faces left-handed pitching this season.
“It’s a go,” Counsell said. That means that with the San Diego Padres throwing left-hander
Clayton Richard in the teams’ opening-day matchup Thursday at Petco Park, Braun will be making his first regular-season appearance in the infield since his rookie year in 2007.
Braun has played 41 innings at first in the Cactus League, including eight starts, but he likely won’t play there again until early next week when the Brewers play a two-game exhibition series in Houston against the Astros.
Just two weeks ago Braun said he wasn’t “remotely comfortable” at the position, but Counsell has confidence he can do the job. With more outfielders than spots after the late January acquisitions of Christian
Yelich and Lorenzo Cain, playing Braun part time at first base should help alleviate the logjam.
“He has the skills to play there,” Counsell said. “I understand why he’s uncomfortable with the rest of the stuff. You’re not going to be comfortable with it until you’ve done it a whole bunch, and there’s still plays that haven’t happened.
“It makes sense, but he’s shown enough that we think he can be a contributor there.”
Braun hasn’t looked out of place defensively at first base this spring; in fact, he’s made some athletic plays and shown some decent range.
“It’s the funny plays that are the challenge – the little dribbler up the first-base line that the runner’s coming at you and the pitcher throws and you can’t see the ball,” Counsell said. “How far can I get away from first base with a right-handed hitter up? A push bunt from a fast runner.
“It’s not the ground balls, it’s not the throws from infielders, it’s the stuff that you try to practice but it doesn’t happen that much, so it’s still a surprise when it happens.”
With Braun now locked in along with Eric Thames at first base, the Brewers will need to get creative in order to keep Jesús Aguilar, who plays only first. Indications are they’ll go with four starting pitchers to start the season, which would get Aguilar onto the roster until the Brewers need a fifth starter in the season’s second week.
Aguilar, a former waiver claim, broke through in 2017 – his first full season in the major leagues – but has no minor-league options remaining and most likely would be claimed by another team if the Brewers cut him loose at any point.
Aguilar hit .265 with 16 home runs and 52 runs batted in over 133 games last year and was also Milwaukee’s top pinch-hitter.
“We’ve got to make some decisions on our depth coming up here, but we’re still going to try to preserve it because it protects you in the case of something bad happening,” Counsell said.
Sticking around: The Brewers and injured pitcher Wade Miley made the best of a bad situation, coming to an agreement Thursday that will keep the left-hander with the organization until he’s recovered from his left groim strain.
“That’s what I wanted all along,” said Miley. “Obviously the business side of it was able to work out, but I’m happy to be here. I don’t want to deal with anything else, make any changes at this point.
“I’m just looking forward to getting healthy and getting back on the field.”
Miley, 31, had the right to opt out of his contract on Thursday, the day after he strained his left groin attempting to field a bunt in his start against the Oakland A’s.
Now, he’ll remain at the Brewers’ Maryvale facility and rehabilitate for what’s expected to be two to four weeks. Miley will pitch in a minorleague game or two once he’s fully recovered, then rejoin the Brewers to determine whether he’s a fit for the starting rotation.
“We have a good understanding that our goal with Wade is to get him back to health,” general manager David Stearns said. “At that point, both sides will have decisions to make, and we’ll be able to move forward.”
Miley compiled a 4.95 ERA in six spring appearances (five starts) with 21 strikeouts in 20 innings.
He had one blowup start in which he allowed 10 hits and seven runs over three innings on March 16, but otherwise pitched well.