They are looking at the big picture
Brewers send Lauer down to get regular work
Players never enjoy being sent to the minors but the Milwaukee Brewers believe optioning left-hander Eric Lauer at this particular point in time will benefit him and the team.
The Brewers sent Lauer to Class AAA Nashville on Saturday and summoned lefty Hoby Milner from that club. Lauer, who pitched three innings Friday night behind starter Adrian Houser in a 6-3 loss to Atlanta, wouldn’t be available for a few days and likely wouldn’t be needed with off days Monday and Thursday wrapped around a two-game series in Kansas City.
“It’s just to get a fresh arm here,” manager Craig Counsell said. “You know, if you look at the schedule, we’ve got some off days coming up, so there may be some active transactions here in the next couple of days.
“Eric, he’ll start probably mid-week this week in Nashville. At some point, we’re going to use six six starters again when we get into a stretch of the season without off days. So, Eric will definitely be in the mix for that.
“So, I think keeping him lengthened out – actually the way his two relief appearances went spaced him out pretty good – and we’ve got a good enough base under him to keep that starting thing going. I think he’s throwing the ball well. It’s just little things right now that we’re focusing on, but I think he’s in a really good place.”
Lauer, 26, is 1-1 with a 2.81 earned run average in 16 innings over two starts and two relief appearances.
Milner, 30, put himself in position for a call-up by pitching well in spring training as a non-roster invitee and carrying that over to the regular season in Nashville.
Signed as a free agent in mid-December, he pitched seven shutout innings in the Cactus League (three hits, two walks, nine strikeouts) and added two more (no walks, four strikeouts) with the Sounds.
Milner pitched last season for the Los Angeles Angels, posting an 8.10 ERA in 19 relief outings. In 74 outings for Philadelphia, Tampa Bay and the Angels from 2017-20, he compiled a 4.53 ERA over 552⁄3 innings, with 56 hits and 28 walks allowed and 46 strikeouts.
“He wasn’t on the (40-man) roster, but he does have options, so that gives us flexibility with his spot,” Counsell said. “The biggest thing is he’s been throwing the ball really well.
“Left-handed, right-handed, I think he’s throwing the ball as well as anybody out of the bullpen down there. He had a very good camp as well. So, all signs say he’s off to a good start in the season.”
Hiura off to good start
Counsell was pleased to hear Keston Hiura collected two doubles in each of his first two games with Nashville after being sent there to hopefully get going at the plate. Hiura was given a week off to clear his head before reporting to the Sounds on Tuesday, working out for a couple of days before playing games.
“We took nine days off, essentially, of game action,” Counsell said. “Sometimes there’s a benefit just to that. That is a benefit in itself, just as a reset. Sometimes it takes a little time to unlearn some of the bad stuff you’re doing and get it out from your system as you kind of try to rewire yourself, so to speak.
“That’s probably a little extreme to say it like that, but that’s essentially what you’re trying to do when you’re in a slump a little bit, is to get the wires firing right again. The time off helped, I think, and it’s great to see he’s off to a good start. I think that builds confidence and reinforces the belief in what he’s doing. That’s always a good thing.”
Positive signs for Yelich
Counsell said the fact that Christian Yelich was back in the lineup Saturday at Class AAA Nashville showed that his back handled the first action there Friday night. Yelich struck out in both atbats before departing after three innings but otherwise responded well to the first game of his minor-league rehab assignment.
“We talked to him,” Counsell said. “He’s doing well. The fact that he’s in the lineup, that’s good news.
“I mean, look, he played three innings there (Friday). That’s the whole point of this, to push him and stress him a little bit and then see where we get with that. So, each day is going to be important. I think at the early stages of this, knowing how he feels the next day is important because at this point he’s still doing stuff that he hasn’t done in a while.
“He’s going to play five, six innings tonight and we’ll just keep stretching that out. Every day is a little bit more and we’ll see how he reacts to it.”
Erceg bringing the heat
Corner infielder Lucas Erceg, attempting to become a two-way player by also pitching at Class AA Biloxi, made his second mound appearance Friday night in the second game of a doubleheader against Mississippi. Erceg started the game and went 11⁄3 innings, allowing no hits, two walks and one run with a pair of strikeouts.
With a 0-1 record and 3.86 ERA in two outs covering 21⁄3 innings, Erceg has been clocked in the high 90s with his fastball, which didn’t surprise Brewers starter Freddy Peralta, who has a pretty good heater of his own.
“What I know is that he has power in his arm, a lot,” Peralta said. “I played with him in the minors and he’d make the runners get close to the base, and then he’d throw hard as he can to the base. And we’re like, ‘Oh, my God.’ This guy can throw 98 or 100 easy. He has power.”
As for what it would take to be a twoway player, Peralta said, “I don’t know but there are players like (Shohei) Ohtani. He’s great. Everybody enjoys watching that because he can play in the outfield, too. For me, if you can do both and do good, it’s something great.
“You can be on the mound and then go to first base or third base and play there after you get some outs. I remember that from when I was in Little League. I did it.”
Peralta said he played shortstop as a youth, so he was asked if he could cut it there in the big leagues.
“I can say yes but I’m not a good hitter,” he said with a big smile.