Making a long-awaited debut
Urías finally gets his chance to play
Finally.
That had to be the first thought in Luis Urías’ mind when told he was being summoned from the Brewers’ alternate training site in Appleton in time for the team’s game Monday night against Minnesota at Miller Park.
Ever since he was acquired in late November in a four-player trade with the San Diego Padres, the young middle infielder has been trying to find his way onto Milwaukee’s roster, only to be thwarted by events beyond his control. While playing winter ball in Mexico in January, Urías suffered a broken hamate bone in his left hand, requiring surgery that kept him out of action for
most of spring training.
Just as Urías was ready to return to action in mid-March, camps were shut down by the COVID-19 pandemic. After a 31⁄2 month shutdown, he was set to join the Brewers’ summer camp at Miller Park, only to test positive for the virus before arriving.
Urías missed all three weeks of that camp before finally getting clearance to resume working out in Appleton. The original plan was for Urías to compete with Orlando Arcia for playing time at shortstop but you have to get on the field first, which became the issue.
Second baseman Keston Hiura worked out with Urías and a group of other players at the training complex in Phoenix during the game’s shutdown and therefore has an idea what he can do on the field.
“I was able to see him three or four times a week, learn more about him, more about his game, what type of player he is, what type of person he is,” Hiura said.
“Especially given his wrist injury, coming back from that right at the end of spring training and obviously getting sick and missing a few weeks right at the beginning of summer camp, definitely a lot of unlucky circumstances there. But we’re glad he’s back and excited for what he brings to the team.”
Manager Craig Counsell put Urías immediately in the lineup at second base, his natural position, with Hiura seeing action as the designated hitter.
“Luis has had a tough six months since the hamate happened in Mexico,” Counsell said. “He’s had 21⁄2 weeks (in Appleton) and is ready to go.”
As far as the timing of activating Urías, Counsell said, “We wanted him to be part of this team, from the time we traded for him. We talked to him about that. We said, ‘When you’re ready to go, you’re going to be part of this team.’ He’s been in Appleton the same amount of time we were in summer camp, and they’ve been playing games there, so he’s ready to go.
“Honestly, we haven’t seen him play. He has not played in a game in uniform for us yet. He has played in Appleton.”
Counsell said the plan is to play Urías at shortstop and second base, and perhaps at third base as well.
“He’s an infielder; I’d have no problem putting him at third base,” Counsell said.
To make room for Urías on their roster, the Brewers designated first baseman/outfielder Logan Morrison for assignment. Morrison made the Brewers’ opening 30-man roster as a non-roster player but struggled at the plate in limited action. In nine games, including two starts at first base, he was 3 for 25 (.120) with one home run, two RBI and a .494 OPS. He walked three times and
struck out eight times.
Houser made quick impression
Chris Hook, who was pitching coach at Class AA Biloxi at the time, remembers the day that Josh Hader and Adrian Houser joined that club late in the 2015 season.
“That was one of the better days in the organization when we acquired those guys along with (outfielders) Brett Phillips and Domingo (Santana),” said Hook, referring to the huge July 30 trade with Houston in which the Brewers acquired four top prospects for outfielder Carlos Gomez and pitcher Mike Fiers.
“I know I was a happy pitching coach. Those guys came in after a break we had in Biloxi and went back-to-back against Mobile. I was like, ‘Wow, this is nice.’ It was a big smile on all our faces that day.”
Now in his second season as the Brewers’ pitching coach, Hook still is happy whenever Hader and Houser take the mound. Switched from a starting role to relieving when summoned to the big leagues in the middle of the 2017 season, Hader quickly became one of the most dominant closers in the game, winning National League reliever of the year honors in both ’18 and ’19.
Houser, who remained in a starting role, took longer to arrive, mainly due to Tommy John surgery a year after the trade, forcing him out of action for the remainder of 2016 and much of the following season. He made his big-league debut in 2018 for the Brewers, pitching seven times in relief, before becoming more of a mainstay last season with 35 appearances (6-7, 3.72), including 18 starts.
Houser, 27, who was sharp in his first two starts (0.75 ERA) of the season, started again Monday night as the Brewers open a three-game home series against interleague rival Minnesota.
“He has evolved so much,” Hook said. “The sinker has gotten better. He has made some subtle changes on the mound, from three years ago, that help him get through that pitch, especially to left-handed hitters.”