The Brewers placed first baseman Rowdy Tellez on the 10-day injured list due to a right patella strain. Catcher Luke Maile was called up from Triple-A to fill Tellez’s spot on the active roster.
Tellez has been bothered by the knee problem for a while, manager Craig Counsell told media last night after Tellez was removed during the second inning of Milwaukee’s 3-0 win over the Indians. Brewers president of baseball operations David Stearns told reporters (including Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel) today that the team felt the IL was necessary for Tellez even as the team awaits the results of an MRI.
With only three weeks remaining in the regular season, Tellez and the Brewers are certainly hopeful that the slugger’s knee will be ready to go for the postseason. Tellez has become the Brew Crew’s everyday first baseman in the second half of the season, and while he has been rather streaky over his three-plus months in Milwaukee, Tellez has been good enough to stabilize a shaky first base situation.
Since being acquired in a trade from the Blue Jays on July 6, Tellez has hit .270/.329/.474 with seven home runs over 167 plate appearances, good for a 112 OPS+. That would be a significant bat to lose for the playoffs if Tellez’s injury proves serious enough to sideline him into October, though that scenario might not yet be a consideration, at least until Tellez’s MRI results are known.
Daniel Vogelbach can step in as another slugging left-handed first base bat while Tellez is out of action, though Vogelbach’s inconsistency was one of the reasons the Brewers acquired Tellez to shore up first base. Utilityman Jace Peterson and infielder Eduardo Escobar are also options, with the switch-hitting Escobar likely to get some looks at first base when a left-handed pitcher is on the mound.
bring up Westbrook
Absolutely agree Westbrook should have been brought up. I get it that the September call up was a little too much but think the cut to just 28 guys wasn’t the right call. Hopefully they meet in the middle next year and maybe set it like 33 players.
Unlimited Roster sizes?
No that isn’t what I said is it . I said that 2 players I don’t think is enough maybe 5 or so tho be able to expand to. I think it was some what of an equalizer for the small market teams to the big time money spenders
Only if they had to designate which 26 were eligible to play each night. Having 16 available relief pitchers on any given day or night is not how the game should be managed.
I agree with that actually.
Thoughts and prayers for a speedy recovery.
Recovery thoughts for a speedy prayer.
Prolly, right lolmutz? Oh wait, he isn’t in here yet.
that’s a shame. tough times at American family field
Really? On pace for 100 wins… real tough
Is Escobar the 1B when Adames returns?
Tough call. I would say Urias goes back to the bench/utility role but he’s been playing well of late (minus his usual defensive hiccups). Have to keep Peterson in there somewhat regularly also.
Almost everyone is contributing with the bat right now (except JBJ of course). Gotta keep it up.
Urias should not be the bench utility guy. Too good of a hitter. It seems like they keep trying to replace or bench him. Only thing keep him in there everyday now are the injuries to one of the infielders.
Yeah, but who do you bench then? When rowdy is healthy, there’s a bit of a logjam at 1st (he, Vogelbach, Peterson, Escobar)..and they’re all lefties except the SH Escobar (and his defense isn’t what I’d call great..).
Wong isn’t sitting, neither is Adames, and Escobar..again, switch hitter..should be the “regular” 3B.
I can’t believe 3 months ago we were trying to get ANY kind of production from the infield, and now there are 6 or 7 guys who deserve to be in the lineup.
“Urias should not be the bench utility guy. Too good of a hitter.” Yeah, keep thinking that until Urias commits an error or two or bad throw at a critical time in a crucial game.
Then again, I’d rather have him in the lineup instead of Vogelbach.
Most of his errors are at SS. He has been decent at 3B and even better at 2B. Escobar is no wizard at 3B either
Routine and habit are important for a ballplayer. JBJ is a much better player than he’s been allowed to show this year. In defense of JBJ, rather difficult to produce when you only get a few AB’s & a start about once a week and your manager treats you as an afterthought. Then also buried batting 8th in an NL lineup. Amazing how Peterson and Vogelbach were routinely given more opportunities than Bradley earlier this year. Counsell is just as much to blame for JBJ’s lack of production. Then again, that’s typical Counsell towards certain types of players.
It’s a shame Milwaukee management didn’t consider moving Yelich or Garcia to 1B early in the year instead of keep pushing base clogger guys like Tellez and Vogelbach into the lineup.
The question is can Counsell/Stearns prove their supporters correct and finally make a WS appearance this year? As a long time Brewer fan, I hope so!
I agree with you! JBL has been shelved, but he has not given up on himself like CC has!
I wouldn’t put too much criticism on counsell for the spot JBJ has been on.
First, blame Stearns. I’m not crushing the guy, but the signing seems to have been unnecessary.
Second, blame JBJ himself. Always been an extreme streak hitter, and didn’t get hot, even when he was getting regular PT when Cain was out.
Next, blame the early season team offensive struggles. Nobody was hitting (except Narvaez, Garcia and, when not injured, Wong). Counsell was, IMO, trying to get anybody in there who might actually get on or drive somebody in.
Then blame Peterson and, to a lesser extent, Taylor. It’s tough to play a guy hitting .180ish when Taylor was getting clutch hits, and Peterson was insanely hot (by Jace Peterson standards).
Then Cain got healthy, was hitting, Yelich remembered who he was/is (I’m still not ready to say “he’s back” because as soon as I do he’ll go 2-for-the-playoffs) and the moment kinda passed for allowing a sub Mendoza-line hitter to be in there.
But it does seem like he’s been getting more than 1 start a week.
Had to sign Bradley to cover for Cain getting hurt. Bradley played the beginning of the year. Bradley also proved he should not start everyday. Cain and Bradley are decent platoon. Expensive but decent. Nothing wrong with a 4 OF rotation.
Counsell is to blame for for a notoriously awful hitter? He should have never been signed for 10 plus million. The Brewers could have signed Broxton for nothing and got the same results.
Of course, the “blame” doesn’t land entirely at Counsell’s feet. However, I’m tired of Counsell being labeled as an above-average MLB manager. He’s highly overrated imho. I keep seeing the same issues with this team year after and very little seems to change except for some faces. It’s time to put up or shut up. This is the season where we find out what level of manager Counsell actually is?
Do y’all need a sports med affiliate so you don’t sound silly writing articles like this? you can’t strain your patella, it’s a bone.
I think they assumed you would know they meant the patella tendon, doctor.
We found the new writer! Sign the good doctor up, and leave all the medical stuff to PT 2. The rest of y’all just focus on trade and contract rumors.
Tellez not so rowdy now, eh? Really funny till someone loses a patella strain
What makes Daniel Vogelbach another “slugging” alternative? Career 0 WAR with a lifetime batting average of less than .210.
A .195 ISO is pretty solid for a slugger.
I love watching Danny boy and Rowdy waddle around the infield. Speedy recovery lad!