Emergency Mode: Brewers' Left Side of the Infield Is a MASH Unit Right Now
MILWAUKEE — The Brewers came into this season looking like the class of the NL Central. Right now, they're just trying to find somebody — anybody — who can play the left side of the infield without a trainer trailing behind.
Third baseman Joey Ortiz is dealing with scapular muscle issues in his upper back, and shortstop Cooper Pratt is getting an MRI on his hamstring. Both are day-to-day. Both got banged up Saturday. And neither is giving manager Pat Murphy much confidence about the immediate future.
So, with the roster stretched to its breaking point, the Brewers did what any desperate team would do: They handed third base to Andrew Vaughn — a first baseman by trade who hadn't started a game at the hot corner since 2021.
Yeah. It's that kind of week in Milwaukee.
Vaughn had appeared in six games at third base this season, all in a pinch-hit/reserve role. But with Ortiz out and Pratt hobbled, Murphy had no other choice.
“He's a baseball player, he's done it before and we're in an emergency situation,” Murphy said.
No kidding.
It wasn't just the corners either. David Hamilton got the start at shortstop Sunday for the first time since June 9. Hamilton had been splitting time between third and short earlier in the season, but since Pratt arrived in mid-June, he's been mostly a third baseman. Now he's back at his old gig, holding down the fort while the regulars heal.
The Depth Problem Goes Deeper
The trouble isn't only at the big league level. Top prospect Jett Williams — ESPN's No. 7 prospect in Milwaukee's system — has wrist soreness while playing short and third for Triple-A Nashville. He's headed to Arizona to see a specialist.
Williams came to the Brewers in the January trade that sent two-time All-Star pitcher Freddy Peralta to the Mets. Peralta has since been moved to Tampa Bay. So yeah, the ripple effects of that deal are still being felt.
To patch things up, the Brewers signed Jihwan Bae to a minor league deal Sunday. Bae has 163 games of MLB experience, all with Pittsburgh from 2022-25, but he's mostly an outfielder/second baseman — not exactly a natural fit for the left side of the infield.
In other words, Milwaukee is running on fumes. The reinforcements might not be the cleanest fit, but at this point, the Brewers just need bodies who can catch a ground ball and stay upright.
The division lead is still real. The infield depth, though? It's being tested like never before.