The Brewers’ West Coast trip has already packed in plenty of strange twists, and the roster news kept rolling in Tuesday. Milwaukee is juggling the trade deadline, a long road swing and a couple of injury situations, but the biggest developments were more encouraging than alarming: Sal Frelick’s return window is taking shape, Jake Bauers dodged an IL stint, and Braden Shewmake is back on the open market.
Frelick, who landed on the injured list July 18 with pain in his throwing shoulder, is now expected back in early to mid-August. The Gold Glove outfielder felt the issue flare up while making a throw from right field, and imaging showed enough to require a stint on the IL. He also got a cortisone shot last week.
That timeline does not make an immediate return look likely. The Brewers’ next homestand runs from August 3 through the 9th, and Frelick would almost certainly need a rehab assignment before he’s cleared to rejoin the active roster. But the club’s next West Coast trip, which starts August 10, is a more realistic target.
Until then, rookie Luis Lara should keep seeing more action. He’s handled his first 15 big-league games well, putting up a .289/.391/.447 slash line. Between Lara and Bauers, Milwaukee has enough offense on hand to cover for Frelick for now.
Bauers, meanwhile, gave the Brewers a scare after Monday night’s game against the Giants when he fouled a ball off his right foot. Early imaging showed what looked like a fracture line, but advanced testing revealed it was a chronic fracture, not a fresh break. The team plans to handle it with symptom management rather than an IL move, and Bauers said he was available to pinch-hit Tuesday night if needed.
That’s a relief for Milwaukee, because Bauers has been one of the club’s most productive hitters. The 30-year-old first baseman and corner outfielder leads the Brewers with 18 home runs and ranks second on the team in RBI with 60 and walks with 52.
If the toe issue had turned into something more serious, it could have forced the front office to hunt for help before Monday’s trade deadline. Instead, he’s expected back in the lineup once the swelling goes down.
The other roster wrinkle came with Braden Shewmake. Milwaukee brought him in from the Houston Astros for cash considerations while David Hamilton was sidelined with a hamstring strain that kept him on the IL for two and a half weeks. Shewmake wasn’t around for long, though he did manage a multi-hit game in one of his four appearances.
Once Hamilton returned, the Brewers designated Shewmake for assignment. He cleared waivers, which was a little surprising given his 92 OPS+ this season, and Milwaukee outrighted him to Triple-A.
But because Shewmake had already been outrighted by the New York Yankees earlier this year, he had the right to refuse the assignment. He did exactly that Tuesday afternoon and chose free agency instead.
Now the 28-year-old infielder is looking for his next opportunity after spending time with three different major league organizations this season.
In Other News...
Brewers Finally Have A Better Sense Of Sal Frelicks Return
Sal Frelicks shoulder issue has given the Brewers a little more pause than they would have liked, but the picture is clearer now after the outfielder received a cortisone injection last week. Milwaukee said the soreness is in his right shoulder, and the club has been careful not to push him back too quickly while the team continues to enjoy a strong season.
Frelick has been out since leaving the Brewers first game after the All-Star break against the Marlins, and the wait has stretched long enough to make his absence a real part of the clubs outfield planning. For now, the Brewers are taking the patient route, with his return still projected for early to mid-August and no reason to force the issue before he is ready. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers Suddenly Have A New October Threat To Worry About
The Brewers are already being sized up as a serious player in the Tarik Skubal market, and that alone says plenty about how they view the next phase of their roster. Skubal has been one of the most appealing arms on the board, with a 2.70 ERA and 3.0 bWAR in 15 starts this season, and Milwaukees interest fits a front office that has shown it is willing to think big when a difference-maker comes into view.
There will be no shortage of competition, either, with the Dodgers, Yankees, Braves and Rays all expected to check in. For Milwaukee, the appeal goes beyond simply adding another frontline starter. The idea is to build something sturdier for October, potentially pairing Skubal with Jacob Misiorowski and giving the Brewers a kind of one-two punch that could change the way a future matchup with Los Angeles feels. [Read more 🡒]