The Brewers got a win over the Cardinals on Monday, but the night also brought a setback that could open the door for a top prospect.
David Hamilton left early with what the club called "left hamstring tightness," and manager Pat Murphy made it sound like the timeline may not be short. As transcribed by Hunter Baumgardt of Fox Sports 920, Murphy said, "As hamstrings go, they usually take a little time. I am anticipating it's going to take a little bit of time," Murphy said.
That puts Milwaukee in a spot where a move up from Triple-A makes plenty of sense, and the clearest candidate is Jett Williams. The Brewers acquired the 22-year-old from the Mets this past offseason in the Freddy Peralta deal, along with Brandon Sproat, and he’s still waiting on his first big league game. In 79 games at Triple-A, Williams is hitting .236/.344/.389 with a .732 OPS, nine homers, 41 RBIs, 21 stolen bases, nine doubles, five triples and 60 runs scored.
Williams has been in the conversation all year as a left-side infield bat who could help Milwaukee offensively. Cooper Pratt has already reached the majors at shortstop, and Williams now looks like the next logical name to get a shot, potentially at third base.
The Brewers do have Joey Ortiz in the majors, and he has been seeing time at third since moving off shortstop for Pratt. So this isn’t a position with no options. Still, Hamilton’s injury creates a real opening, and Milwaukee could bring Williams up without much complication.
Hamilton’s absence matters because he has quietly been a useful piece. He’s batting .240 in 74 games and has stolen 18 bases, while also posting 1.0 wins above replacement. Losing that combination stings, but it also gives the Brewers a chance to replace him with someone who can bring speed and offense.
If Milwaukee wants the simplest answer, Williams is sitting right there in Triple-A. Maybe this is his shot.
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