The Brewers’ infield is stretched thin, and the fix may already be sitting in Triple-A Nashville.
With Cooper Pratt out for a few more weeks because of a hamstring strain and Joey Ortiz also working through a neck/back injury, Milwaukee has been forced to patch together the left side of its infield. The club has plenty of infield depth in the minors, but when Pratt went on the IL, it chose not to pull from that group and instead signed free agent Ji-hwan Bae.
That move made sense on short notice, especially if Bae was the only player who could get to Milwaukee in time for Sunday’s game. But the early returns haven’t helped much.
Bae had a rough defensive outing in his only start, and after dropping a couple of successful bunts in his Brewers debut, things have gone mostly sideways. With Ortiz also limited, the Brewers have been short a man on the bench.
Pat Murphy has had to improvise just to keep a full lineup on the field, using Andrew Vaughn at third base and sliding Brice Turang to shortstop. Ortiz did return for the series finale against the Padres, but the larger issue remains: Milwaukee still needs help in the infield with Pratt sidelined.
The answer, according to this look at the roster, is Luke Adams.
Adams has put together the kind of Triple-A season that demands attention. He’s shown real pop and a strong ability to get on base with Nashville, while also holding his own defensively at third base. That glove work should be enough for the Brewers to feel comfortable giving him a shot at the hot corner.
Through this season, Adams is hitting .260/.407/.544 with 16 homers, 35 walks, and 40 strikeouts, good for a .944 OPS.
There’s also a practical reason to make the move now. Adams is Rule 5 eligible this winter and will need to be added to the 40-man roster in a few months anyway, especially since the Brewers would likely want to protect him. If that’s coming regardless, why not give him a look in the majors first?
Jett Williams would have been the obvious alternative, but he’s been dealing with a wrist injury. On the same night Pratt and Ortiz got hurt, Williams re-aggravated that wrist in Triple-A and has since been placed back on the IL.
Brock Wilken has stayed healthy, but his bat has not been close to ready, as he’s hitting just .177 with 12 homers and 118 strikeouts in 100 games. Tyler Black isn’t an option on the left side of the infield at this point either. That leaves Adams as the only realistic choice who can handle a spot on that side of the diamond.
And if the Brewers are looking for help, Adams brings exactly what this lineup could use: on-base skills and power.
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