Piña as reliable as they come for Brewers
PHOENIX – Now that Ryan Braun is no longer around, can you name the longest-tenured Milwaukee Brewer?
Going by total time with the organization, Orlando Arcia is the runaway winner at 12 seasons.
But if you’re going by major-league service time, Manny Piña is the guy.
He made his Brewers debut on Aug. 1, 2016, one day before Arcia made his. Since pulling on his uniform that night in San Diego, Piña has been everything Milwaukee could have been expecting out of a guy who’s developed into a reliable backup catcher.
In 329 games, the Venezuelan is a .257 hitter with 29 home runs and 113 runs batted in. Maybe more important, he’s been an above-average defender and game caller whose familiarity with the Brewers pitching staff makes him a security blanket for manager Craig Counsell.
“He’s been through a lot with us,” Counsell said on Wednesday. “He knows us very well. We know him very well. He’s a Brewer.”
Looking back, not many would have guessed at the time that Piña. the player to be named in the Nov. 18, 2015, trade that sent Francisco Rodriguez to the Detroit Tigers, would turn out to be the keeper rather than minor-league infielder Javier Betancourt.
After all, Piña had a total of five major-league games under his belt at that point – none since 2012 – and hadn’t been able to gain traction with two other organizations before coming on board with the Brewers and being named a Pacific Coast League all-star with Class AAA Colorado Springs.
After Jonathan Lucroy was traded at the deadline, Piña got the call back to the majors where he’s been a fixture ever since.
“My first time in the big leagues was 2011. After that, I spent four or five years in the minor leagues before I came up to the big leagues again,” he said. “I was very frustrated but I never gave it up. I knew if I worked hard, I had the talent, so I could be in the big leagues.
“I appreciate them for giving me the opportunity to come back to the big leagues again and show all those guys I can be here for a long time and help the team win the World Series.”
Piña’s two most productive seasons were in 2017, when he played in 107 games, and in 2018, when he played in 98. He hit nine homers in each.
His playing time plummeted in 2019 after Milwaukee signed Yasmani Grandal to a one-year deal, and then he suffered a season-ending knee injury on a pickoff play at first base, of all things. Surgery to repair torn cartilage kept him from participating in the playoffs.
Piña worked hard in the offseason to get back, dropping some weight. He’s looked good in camp, hitting .353 with two homers and four RBI with an OPS of 1.157 in eight games.
“I feel very good,” said Piña, who was shaken up in a home-plate collision earlier last week but suffered no lingering effects. He’ll once again complement Omar Narváez behind the plate with Luke Maile and Jacob Nottingham the other 40-man roster members with major-league experience.
“Every day I have more confidence. I know my defense is always there and I keep working on that but I want to improve my offense this year. I’m seeing the ball very well right now. If I see a good pitch I swing, and that’s what I want to continue from the first day of spring training to when we win the World Series.”
Piña turns 34 on June 5, meaning he’s the second-oldest player on the team behind only Centerfielder Lorenzo Cain (35 on April 13). Right-hander Josh Lindblom is 10 days younger than Piña.
“I feel proud, man,” he said. “That makes me happy. It’s good when a young pitcher comes to you and asks you something, that makes me feel very good.
“I know I have experience so I can help the young guys coming up and even the guys who are here. I don’t feel like I’m 33..”
Baseball skills aside, Piña is also a popular player in the Brewers clubhouse, a guy quick with a smile and a quip, not to mention the confidence to be able to belt out a full-throated version of The Eagles’ “Hotel California” at the drop of a hat.
“I think as much as anything, Manny has a good day every day, right? That’s his personality,” Counsell said. “It fits the role that he’s been in, to succeed in it. Every day’s a good day, no matter what it brings.
“I really think that’s a key to his success.”
Nottingham headed for injured list
Nottingham, who had surgery on his left thumb not long before camp opened, continues to make very slow progress. He has begun catching bullpen sessions but isn’t expected to be ready to go behind the plate in Cactus League games before the end of camp.
“There’s a big difference between bullpens and games,” Counsell said.
“I would say we’re making progress because he’s catching ‘pens,’ and we weren’t there a week ago. “So, that’s progress. But the setbacks have concerned us enough that we’ve got to get some volume and kind of an easier setting before we move onto the next step.”
Nottingham will start the season on the injured list to give him time to get ready for game action, which allows the Brewers to temporarily skirt the issue of him having no minor-league options. Once he is ready, Nottingham will go on rehab assignment in the minors.
Outfielder Derek Fisher, sidelined with a hamstring injury, could be headed for the same IL fate. He, too, is out of options.
The barrage continues
One day after the Brewers slugged four home runs off tough Los Angeles Dodgers starter Walker Buehler, the long-ball barrage continued against Colorado’s Jon Gray. It began with a leadoff home run by Kolten Wong, the third time he has opened the first inning with one this spring.
Christian Yelich ignited a six-run rally in the third inning with a grand slam – a titanic blast over the 30-foot-high batter’s eye in center. It was the second homer in two days for Yelich, who is batting .450 (9 for 20) this spring with three home runs, seven RBI and 1.542 OPS.
Later that inning, Travis Shaw slugged a two-run homer, another blast to right that carried over the berm beyond the wall and nearly onto an elevated back field in what became a 9-8 loss.
“We’ve got a couple of guys swinging good,” Counsell said. “I think Kolten Wong, the power is great to see. And then ‘Yeli’ took a bunch of good swings. The walk at the end was a good at-bat. Positive signs. I think Luis Urias has had some good at-bats also.’’
“I just think Kolten is in a good spot to have a really nice year. The home runs are not something you’re counting on or need from him, but it’s in there for him to hit some more. And I think he’s going to score a lot of runs for us.”
Much like Gray, Brewers starter Adrian Houser struggled in his outing. In 31⁄3 innings, he surrendered nine hits and seven runs, leaving him with an 8.25 ERA in five Cactus League appearances.
“Some of them were hit relatively hard,” Counsell said. “In the first inning, we got our glove on three balls and didn’t get an out on any of them.” That’s kind of the nature of what is going to happen to him sometimes.’’