Headlines

  • Braves Extend Manager Brian Snitker Through 2025
  • Mets To Extend Jeff McNeil
  • Rays Sign Pete Fairbanks To Extension
  • Royals Sign Aroldis Chapman To One-Year Deal
  • Athletics Sign Jesús Aguilar
  • Orioles Acquire Cole Irvin From A’s
  • Previous
  • Next
Register
Login
  • Hoops Rumors
  • Pro Football Rumors
  • Pro Hockey Rumors

MLB Trade Rumors

  • Home
  • Teams
    • AL East
      • Baltimore Orioles
      • Boston Red Sox
      • New York Yankees
      • Tampa Bay Rays
      • Toronto Blue Jays
    • AL Central
      • Chicago White Sox
      • Cleveland Guardians
      • Detroit Tigers
      • Kansas City Royals
      • Minnesota Twins
    • AL West
      • Houston Astros
      • Los Angeles Angels
      • Oakland Athletics
      • Seattle Mariners
      • Texas Rangers
    • NL East
      • Atlanta Braves
      • Miami Marlins
      • New York Mets
      • Philadelphia Phillies
      • Washington Nationals
    • NL Central
      • Chicago Cubs
      • Cincinnati Reds
      • Milwaukee Brewers
      • Pittsburgh Pirates
      • St. Louis Cardinals
    • NL West
      • Arizona Diamondbacks
      • Colorado Rockies
      • Los Angeles Dodgers
      • San Diego Padres
      • San Francisco Giants
  • About
    • MLB Trade Rumors
    • Tim Dierkes
    • Writing team
    • Advertise
    • Archives
  • Contact
  • Tools
    • 2022-23 MLB Free Agent List
    • Top 50 Free Agents
    • Projected Arbitration Salaries For 2023
    • Transaction Tracker
    • Extension Tracker
    • Arbitration Tracker
    • Agency Database
  • NBA/NFL/NHL
    • Hoops Rumors
    • Pro Football Rumors
    • Pro Hockey Rumors
  • App
  • Chats
Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Christian Yelich

Recalibrating Expectations For Luis Urias

By TC Zencka | January 29, 2022 at 10:11pm CDT

Luis Urias was a top prospect coming up in the Padres’ system at a time when San Diego had one of the best farm systems in baseball. The Padres avoided overtures to deal Urias for more established talent year after year. After intermittent opportunities in 2018 and 2019, Urias was shipped to Milwaukee in one of the more interesting challenge trades in recent memory: the Padres sent Urias and southpaw Eric Lauer to the Brewers for outfielder Trent Grisham and righty Zach Davies.

At the time – late November of 2019 – Grisham was at a low point, fresh off ending the Brewers season with an unfortunate bounce on a Juan Soto single that knocked Milwaukee out of the wild card game. Grisham had played admirably in a 51-game stint mostly standing in for the injured Christian Yelich – not at all an easy task, given his legendary status at the time. But the way the season ended definitely left a poor impression about Grisham’s future. Of course, Grisham would go on to win a Gold Glove Award as a centerfielder the next season, reminding us that a single moment in time cannot define a player’s career. The now-25-year-old has grown his well-rounded game enough to place him among the most promising centerfielders in the sport.

A similar lesson might be taken from the first few seasons of Urias’ career. His first season with the Brewers looked a lot like his first few years in San Diego. Following the 2020 season, Urias’ career triple-slash line was a punchless .226/.315/.320, a performance 24 percent below-average. The lack of pop wasn’t shocking, as power was never his calling card. His offensive potential was built on a keen eye at the plate and bat-to-ball skills that routinely produced batting averages of .290+ while in the minor leagues.

Urias, who’s still just 24, turned it around in the 2021 campaign, posting a 111 wRC+ while slashing .249/.345/.445 with 23 home runs. Oddly, it was his power that drove the improvement as his isolated power jumped to .196, an above-average mark that helped sustain a move to the more power-expectant position of third base. If last season’s output represents a new baseline for Urias, our typical understanding of the aging curve suggests that Urias ought to have at least another 5-6 seasons of being a very good baseball player.

If the high-average, high-on-base-percentage player that Urias had been throughout his minors career re-animates for the Brewers in 2022, the Brewers might really have a star player on their hands. They might need one, too, because, somewhat ironically, where once Grisham stood in for an injured Yelich, an improved Urias helped pick up the slack for a lessened Yelich in 2021. With Yelich no longer performing at the superhuman levels of his MVP seasons, and Lorenzo Cain beginning to show his age, the Brewers had to rely on a more egalitarian approach at the plate in 2021. Urias was a big reason why the Brewers were able to weather Yelich’s decline from a 170 wRC+ superhero in 2018-19 to an all-too-mortal 105 wRC+ in 2020-21. Willy Adames carried much of the load after his arrival from Tampa, but even his transformation into a middle-of-the-order bat (135 wRC+) didn’t come close to matching the firepower of Yelich in his heyday.

Manager Craig Counsell mixes-and-matches to maximize the production of an imperfect offensive roster, and he’s done so dating back to Yelich’s MVP years. The Brewers scored 754 runs in 2018 when Yelich won the MVP, 12th-most in the Majors, then 769 runs in 2019 when Yelich finished second, 15th-most in MLB. They scored just 247 runs in the truncated 2020 season when Yelich’s production first dipped, a mark that fell to 26th overall and resulted in a 29-31 season that barely qualified them for an expanded playoffs. Last season, they made the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season while scoring 738 runs, which landed them back at 12th overall in the Majors. In other words, the Brewers offense was about as good as it’s ever been with Yelich on the roster, despite Yelich himself producing barely better than average.

The Brewers under Counsell and GM David Stearns have always been a pitching-first organization, and that’s likely to continue in 2022 behind a rotation that’s among the most well-rounded in all of baseball. Brandon Woodruff, Corbin Burnes, and Freddy Peralta boast mind-bending pure stuff, but they’re buttressed by a pair of steady-eddies in Adrian Houser and Lauer, Urias’ traveling mate from San Diego. When healthy, Josh Hader, Devin Williams, and Brent Suter make up the core of a formidable bullpen, not to mention Aaron Ashby, the hard-throwing, bespectacled southpaw who appears to be the next big arm to establish himself on Counsell’s staff.

Pitching dominance, however, now more than ever, is prone to whims of injury and year-to-year variance. Less length from starters means spreading the innings load to more pitchers than in days’ past, and that means spreading the potential for variance around as well. There are plusses and minuses to meting out that responsibility to so many arms. The Brewers pitching staff has ranked among the game’s best by fWAR the past two seasons, but nothing is guaranteed on the hill. The offense will need to carry their own water.

There are paths to Milwaukee scoring enough runs to cover even an unforeseen letdown from the pitching staff, but as of right now, they’re gambles. Obviously, a bounceback season from Yelich would do wonders. A rejuvenated Cain in his age-36 season would be amazing, however unlikely. Even another season from Adames at his Milwaukee potency would register as a pleasant surprise.

The list goes on. They need Keston Hiura to find the form that made him a top prospect bat. They need Hunter Renfroe and Tyrone Taylor to make up the production left behind by the departed Avisail Garcia. They need Rowdy Tellez to maintain his role as a power force, though year-to-year consistency has eluded the southpaw slugger in the past.

Urias, now stationed at the hot corner, might be the safest best of them all. Heading into last season, the sheen had worn off of Urias, and the prospect of his realizing the potential that was once heaped upon his 5’9″ frame was as unlikely as any of Milwaukee’s annual offensive gambits, and yet here we are. The Brewers not only need Urias to be a star, but it’s not wholly unfair to expect it.

Share 0 Retweet 10 Send via email0

Milwaukee Brewers MLBTR Originals San Diego Padres Christian Yelich Luis Urias Trent Grisham

41 comments

Brewers Notes: Hiura, Yelich, Stearns

By Anthony Franco | October 15, 2021 at 10:24pm CDT

The Brewers were bumped from the postseason earlier this week, losing their Division Series against the Braves. Milwaukee president of baseball operations David Stearns met with the media (including Will Sammon of the Athletic and Adam McCalvy of MLB.com) this afternoon to review the 2021 campaign and discuss the club’s upcoming offseason.

Keston Hiura will undergo a minor surgery on his right elbow, Stearns said, although there’s no indication the issue could affect his readiness for Spring Training. Milwaukee’s Opening Day first baseman, Hiura struggled all season. He got off to a horrible start, striking out in 32 of his first 89 plate appearances en route to a .152/.247/.266 line through early May. The Brewers optioned Hiura to Triple-A Nashville at that point. Hiura hit well in the minors, but he still couldn’t find much success against big league pitching. In 108 MLB plate appearances from the time of his first demotion on, he continued to slump to a .181/.264/.330 mark.

At this point, the Brew Crew can’t enter 2022 counting on Hiura to assume an everyday role. Still, he’s a former top ten pick who’s not all that far removed from a huge .303/.368/.570 showing as a rookie in 2019. Milwaukee surely doesn’t want to give up on Hiura entirely, and Stearns floated the idea of getting him some work in the outfield next season. Hiura has only played first and second base as a pro (aside from one 3 1/3 inning stint in left field this year), but it’d be a bit easier for manager Craig Counsell to work him into the lineup if the 25-year-old proves capable of covering the grass on a regular basis.

Christian Yelich won’t have any issue getting everyday reps, but he’ll also be looking to recapture his 2019 level of performance. The former MVP’s numbers have hovered right around league average (.234/.360/.392) over the past couple seasons. It’s an alarming drop-off, surely not what Stearns and the front office had in mind when they inked Yelich to an extension over the 2019-20 offseason that paid him $188.5MM in new money.

Between Yelich’s prior accolades and the organization’s enormous financial commitment to him, it’s no surprise that Stearns says getting the 29-year-old back on track is a key focus this winter. Yelich’s strikeout, walk and hard contact rates are still all solid or better, but his power output has disappeared as his ground-ball percentage has spiked from 43.2% in 2019 to 54.8% this past season. Stearns candidly admitted the organization hasn’t yet diagnosed a root cause of Yelich’s downturn in performance, but he expressed optimism in the potential for a turnaround and noted that Yelich wasn’t being hampered by any health problems.

Stearns’ own status with the franchise has been something of a talking point in recent weeks. The Mets are reportedly interested in speaking with the Manhattan native as part of their search for a new president of baseball operations. Stearns landing in Flushing has never seemed especially likely, though, primarily because he’s under contract with the Brewers through the end of next season. Thus, Milwaukee owner Mark Attanasio would need to grant the Mets permission to interview Stearns. Attanasio hasn’t definitely said whether he’d do so, although he rather coyly responded to the rumors last month (via Sports Illustrated) when he opined that Stearns is “a great executive. … He’s also under contract with us.”

For his part, Stearns mostly deflected attention away from his future, although he didn’t sound like someone anxious to leave Milwaukee. “I think I’ll shy away from any media or external speculation other than to say I’m happy here; my family is happy here. And we’ve got work to do here,” Stearns told reporters today when asked about the chances he makes the jump to the Big Apple.

Share 0 Retweet 7 Send via email0

Milwaukee Brewers New York Mets Notes Christian Yelich David Stearns Keston Hiura

49 comments

Brewers Activate Christian Yelich From COVID List

By Mark Polishuk | August 7, 2021 at 4:38pm CDT

The Brewers have activated outfielder Christian Yelich from the COVID-19 injury list, manager Craig Counsell told reporters (including Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel).  Yelich isn’t starting today’s game but is available off the bench, Counsell said.

Unfortunately for the Brewers, right-hander Adrian Houser was officially placed on the COVID list today, as was expected after the righty’s positive test yesterday.  Houser now joins Josh Hader, Eric Lauer, Keston Hiura, Jandel Gustave, Hunter Strickland, and Jake Cousins as Milwaukee players on the COVID list, as the club continues to deal with an outbreak within the clubhouse.  Yelich tested positive for the virus and was placed on the COVID-IL on July 27, so he’ll return after a pretty minimal stint, even if he isn’t immediately getting back into regular duty for the Brewers.

Between this absence and two stints on the regular injured list due to back problems, Yelich has appeared in only 67 games this season, and hit a modest .235/.382/.367 in 275 plate appearances.  While still above-average (104 OPS+, 108 wRC+) production, it certainly isn’t what was expected from the former NL MVP, even if the Brewers have surged into first place in the NL Central with only average hitting numbers overall.  A return to form from Yelich could be the spark Milwaukee needs to cement itself as a World Series contender, though the first order of business is simply to get everyone recovered from the COVID outbreak.

Share 0 Retweet 4 Send via email0

Milwaukee Brewers Transactions Adrian Houser Christian Yelich Coronavirus

23 comments

COVID Notes: Brewers, Diamondbacks, Protocols

By Anthony Franco | August 6, 2021 at 10:28pm CDT

The latest on COVID-19 around the league:

  • The Brewers have been dealing with virus spread throughout the clubhouse in recent days, and another pair of players has tested positive. Starter Adrian Houser and reliever Jandel Gustave tested positive and were placed on the COVID IL, manager Craig Counsell told reporters (including Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel). They join Josh Hader, Hunter Strickland, Eric Lauer, Jake Cousins, Keston Hiura and Christian Yelich on the COVID list. Yelich was cleared to return to the club today, but Milwaukee has elected to hold off on activating him for now as the star outfielder works his way back into game shape following a ten-day absence.
  • The Diamondbacks have also been hit by COVID spread recently, but they got one of their players back today. Reliever Joe Mantiply, who had been out as a close contact of a player(s) who tested positive, was reinstated from the IL before this evening’s game against the Padres. Fellow southpaw Ryan Buchter, who was selected last week, was removed from the 40-man roster and returned to Triple-A Reno. As a COVID replacement, Buchter could be reassigned to the minor leagues without needing to pass through waivers.
  • The recent uptick in viral spread (the Rockies and Yankees have each had similar issues recently) in both the league and the United States as a whole has caught the attention of MLB and the Players Association. After relaxing restrictions for vaccinated players and staff in mid-June, MLB is considering tightening protocols, reports Evan Drellich of the Athletic. The league updated its mask policy at Spring Training facilities this week, requiring those working at the facilities to wear masks in indoor areas regardless of vaccination status, Drellich writes. It seems MLB would prefer to tighten mask and distancing protocols rather than “aggressively” incentivize further vaccination among players and staff. Drellich writes that 85.5% of Tier 1 personnel leaguewide (players, coaches and other staff members in direct contact with the team) have been vaccinated.
Share 0 Retweet 3 Send via email0

Arizona Diamondbacks Milwaukee Brewers Notes Transactions Adrian Houser Christian Yelich Coronavirus Jandel Gustave Joe Mantiply Ryan Buchter

8 comments

Brewers Place Christian Yelich, Jace Peterson On COVID List

By Mark Polishuk | July 27, 2021 at 1:39pm CDT

The Brewers have placed Christian Yelich and Jace Peterson on the COVID-related injury list, president of baseball operations David Stearns told MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy (Twitter links).  Yelich has tested positive for COVID-19 while Peterson is on the list due to contact tracing.  Stearns noted that Yelich had already been fully vaccinated and is exhibiting mild symptoms, though the outfielder is expected to be back after the mandatory 10-day quarantine period.

To fill the two open roster spots, Lorenzo Cain is being activated off the 10-day injured list and Pablo Reyes was called up from Triple-A.  Cain was expected to return from the IL today, following an absence of almost two months while recovering from a hamstring strain.

The most important news is that Yelich is feeling relatively good following his positive test, though the former NL MVP will now be sidelined for the third time this season.  Yelich had two earlier IL placements due to back problems, costing him close to five weeks’ worth of action.  This nagging back issue has bothered Yelich for a few years, contributing to his below-average performance since the start of the 2020 season.  After his last 522 plate appearances, Yelich has hit .221/.370/.397 — a far cry from his .327/.415/.631 slash line over 1231 PA in 2018-19.

The Brewers are known to be looking for hitting help prior to the trade deadline, and losing Yelich will only add to the team’s search.  Peterson has also been a good addition to the roster over 50 games 161 PA this season, hitting .244/.373/.397 (good for a 109 OPS+ and 113 wRC+) after signing a minor league deal with Milwaukee this past winter.

It isn’t known what Cain will be able to provide after his second IL trip of the season, and the veteran has mostly been an offensive non-factor since the start of the 2019 season.  Cain has hit only .256/.327/.369 over his last 762 PA, as he has been hampered by multiple injuries and also elected to sit out much of the 2020 season.

Share 0 Retweet 4 Send via email0

Milwaukee Brewers Transactions Christian Yelich Coronavirus Jace Peterson Lorenzo Cain Pablo Reyes

217 comments

Brewers Activate Christian Yelich

By Connor Byrne | May 18, 2021 at 3:10pm CDT

The Brewers have activated outfielder Christian Yelich from the 10-day injured list and optioned left-hander Hoby Milner to Triple-A Nashville, Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel tweets.

Yelich has already been on the IL twice this year on account of back issues, and the Brewers can only hope it won’t happen again. The former NL MVP missed about three weeks during his first stint on the shelf, and one game after he returned, Milwaukee had to put Yelich back on the IL on May 4. Yelich has been in great form when healthy enough to play, having batted .353/.463/.382 in 10 games and 41 plate appearances.

Yelich is the Brewers’ go-to option in left field, but they’ve mostly had to rely on Billy McKinney, Tyrone Taylor and Jackie Bradley Jr. with him unavailable for the majority of the season. All three of them have struggled to varying extents this year.

Share 0 Retweet 9 Send via email0

Milwaukee Brewers Christian Yelich

10 comments

Injury Updates: Yelich, Choi, Dickerson, Solano, Yaz, Smeltzer

By Mark Polishuk | May 15, 2021 at 6:56pm CDT

Christian Yelich began a Triple-A rehab assignment yesterday, playing three innings in left field and receiving two plate appearances.  Back problems have led to two separate injured-list placements for Yelich this season, and limited him to only 10 games and 41 PA for the Brewers.  It isn’t yet clear how long Yelich’s rehab assignment will last before he rejoins the Brew Crew, though manager Craig Counsell is hopeful “we’re in a really good place right now” in terms of getting Yelich fully recovered.

“We’re hoping we’ve turned the corner here,” Counsell told MLB.com’s Sterling Bright and other reporters.  “These are all little signs, and the most important thing we’re going to find out is [how he feels] after the game, and when he wakes up in the morning, and as we kind of move forward here playing back-to-back, and things like that.”

More on other injury situations from around baseball…

  • Ji-Man Choi was activated from the 10-day injured list today, though the first baseman didn’t make an appearance in the Rays’ 12-5 victory over the Mets.  Choi underwent arthroscopic knee surgery just prior to Opening Day and thus has yet to make his 2021 debut.  Choi (who celebrates his 30th birthday on Wednesday) has hit a cool .257/.359/.461 with 30 home runs over 821 PA since being acquired by Tampa Bay in July 2018.  Now that he is healthy, Choi is expected to assume his usual role as Tampa’s primary first base/DH option against right-handed pitching, with Yandy Diaz taking over against left-handed pitchers.
  • The Giants could soon be getting some reinforcements from the IL, as manager Gabe Kapler told reporters (including The San Francisco Chronicle’s Steve Kroner) that Alex Dickerson is within a few days of returning.  Dickerson was placed on the 10-day IL on May 7 due to a right shoulder impingement, so Sunday is the earliest the outfielder could return to action.  Donovan Solano is also slated to play five innings as part of a Triple-A rehab assignment today, as the infielder is working his way back from a right calf strain that sidelined him on April 21.
  • Mike Yastrzemski isn’t in today’s Giants lineup, as Kapler said the outfielder’s left side is “pretty sore” after colliding with the outfield wall in pursuit of an Adam Frazier triple in yesterday’s game.  Kapler didn’t think the injury was particularly serious, though Yastrzemski has already missed some time this season due to a minor oblique strain in his left side.  After a slow start to the season, Yastrzemski’s bat is beginning to heat up, and he is up to a .216/.316/.461 slash line (111 OPS+, 118 OPS+) through 117 plate appearances.
  • Twins left-hander Devin Smeltzer hit the 10-day IL Wednesday due to left elbow inflammation, and it will be “a matter of weeks” before Smeltzer is ready to return, manager Rocco Baldelli told reporters (including Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press).  Tests on Smeltzer’s elbow revealed no ligament issues but some nerve irritation.  Baldelli said there hadn’t yet been any discussion about moving Smeltzer to the 60-day IL, which would keep the southpaw out of action until after the All-Star break.  Smeltzer has spent most of the last three seasons being shuttled back and forth between the Twins’ roster and either their Triple-A team or alternate training site.  He has appeared in only one game for Minnesota this season, tossing 4 1/3 scoreless innings in a 6-2 loss to the Pirates back on April 24.
Share 0 Retweet 3 Send via email0

Milwaukee Brewers Minnesota Twins San Francisco Giants Tampa Bay Rays Alex Dickerson Christian Yelich Devin Smeltzer Donovan Solano Ji-Man Choi Mike Yastrzemski

7 comments

Brewers Notes: Burnes, Yelich, Godley

By Connor Byrne | May 12, 2021 at 5:53pm CDT

A few updates on the Brewers…

  • Milwaukee will welcome back ace Corbin Burnes from the COVID-19 injured list on Thursday, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com relays. Burnes confirmed Wednesday that he landed on the shelf April 26 as a result of a positive test, but he was asymptomatic and able to continue working out, per Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Prior to going on the IL, the 26-year-old flamethrower got off to a remarkable start with 29 1/3 innings of 1.53 ERA/1.25 SIERA, and he also piled up 49 strikeouts without issuing a single walk. Burnes is now three punchouts away from breaking Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen’s 4-year-old record of 51 strikeouts against no walks to open a season.
  • McCalvy also passes on the latest regarding left fielder Christian Yelich, who hit the 10-day IL for the second time last week because of ongoing back troubles. Yelich has returned to “doing baseball activities,” according to manager Craig Counsell, who didn’t offer a timeline for when he could rejoin their lineup. Yelich’s second IL placement came just one game after the team activated him from a three-week absence. Yelich has appeared in only 10 games and collected 41 plate appearances this year, but the former MVP has hit a rather productive .353/.463/.382 in that short span.
  • The Brewers designated righty Zack Godley for assignment on Monday, and he has since gone unclaimed on waivers, Steve Adams of MLBTR tweets. Godley has up to two days to accept an outright assignment or return to free agency. The Brewers signed the 30-year-old to a minor league contract in March, and they selected his contract April 27. Godley made a start the next day, but he managed only three innings of three earned-run ball before exiting with a right finger injury that required an IL stint.
Share 0 Retweet 3 Send via email0

Milwaukee Brewers Notes Christian Yelich Corbin Burnes Zack Godley

32 comments

Brewers Place Christian Yelich On 10-Day IL

By Connor Byrne | May 4, 2021 at 4:42pm CDT

The Brewers are sending outfielder Christian Yelich to the 10-day injured list, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com tweets. Yelich is continuing to deal with a back issue. Milwaukee announced that it has recalled outfielder Tyrone Taylor to take Yelich’s spot.

Yelich just returned Monday after missing three-plus weeks because of his ailing back, and he picked up two hits in a loss to the Phillies. However, manager Craig Counsell said Tuesday that Yelich “doesn’t feel good,” per Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The Brewers haven’t found anything serious in an MRI, but Counsell noted that there is “something else we haven’t diagnosed.” The team’s goal is “to completely resolve this,” Counsell added.

The Brewers have gone through most of the season without the former MVP, who has played in 10 games, totaled 41 plate appearances and batted .353/.463/.382. So far, though, they’ve overcome his absence (and a slew of other injuries) en route to a 17-12 record  – good for a first-place tie with the Cardinals in the National League Central. Of course, that doesn’t mean the Brewers will continue to succeed without Yelich, especially considering most of their other outfielders have posted average or much worse numbers.

Share 0 Retweet 6 Send via email0

Milwaukee Brewers Christian Yelich

28 comments

Brewers Activate Christian Yelich, Lorenzo Cain; Option Tyrone Taylor, Keston Hiura

By Connor Byrne | May 3, 2021 at 4:17pm CDT

4:17pm: Yelich and Cain are indeed in Monday’s lineup, the Brewers announced. The team optioned Taylor and infielder Keston Hiura to its alternate site in corresponding moves. Taylor’s one of the odd men out despite a fantastic .323/.400/.581 line with a pair of homers in 35 trips to the plate. Hiura has endured an awful start, though, with a .152/.247/.266 mark, 32 strikeouts and one HR over 89 PA. So far, it has been the second consecutive adverse season for Hiura, who burst on the scene as a rookie in 2019 but hasn’t come close to replicating his output from then.

Hiura has gotten the lion’s share of playing time at first base this year for Milwaukee, which has also utilized Daniel Vogelbach at the position. Vogelbach and McKinney will now split time there. Manager Craig Counsell expressed optimism that Hiura “can be our primary first baseman,” though he admitted the Brewers “need more offense” from that spot, Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel relays.

4:03pm: Brewers outfielders Christian Yelich and Lorenzo Cain will return from the 10-day injured list Monday as the first-place club begins a series against the Phillies, Robert Murray of FanSided reports.

This will be the first action since April 11 for Yelich, who has been down with a back ailment. The Brewers were optimistic Yelich wouldn’t be out for long, evidenced by the fact that they didn’t place him on the IL until April 17 (retroactive to the 14th). Now that the former MVP is coming back from a three-week absence, he’ll try to build on the highly  productive .333/.459/.367 line he logged in 37 plate appearances to start the season. However, the two-time 30-plus-home run hitter hasn’t left the yard yet in 2021.

The Brewers received very strong numbers from the left field combination of Tyrone Taylor and Billy McKinney during Yelich’s absence. The same hasn’t been true in center, where Jackie Bradley Jr. has struggled in his first year with the Brewers. Bradley divided his time between center and right to open the year, but he has played the former spot almost every day since Cain went on the IL on April 14 with a strained left quad. As is the case with Bradley, Cain has come out of the gates slowly in 2021. He batted an underwhelming .154/.214/.423 in 28 PA prior to his trip to the IL.

Share 0 Retweet 5 Send via email0

Milwaukee Brewers Christian Yelich Keston Hiura Lorenzo Cain Tyrone Taylor

19 comments
Load More Posts
Show all

ad: 300x250_1_MLB

    Top Stories

    Braves Extend Manager Brian Snitker Through 2025

    Mets To Extend Jeff McNeil

    Rays Sign Pete Fairbanks To Extension

    Royals Sign Aroldis Chapman To One-Year Deal

    Athletics Sign Jesús Aguilar

    Orioles Acquire Cole Irvin From A’s

    Astros Name Dana Brown General Manager

    Rays Extend Jeffrey Springs

    Royals, Red Sox Swap Adalberto Mondesi For Josh Taylor

    Red Sox Designate Matt Barnes For Assignment

    Scott Rolen Elected Into Baseball Hall Of Fame

    Red Sox Sign Adam Duvall

    Brad Ausmus Reportedly Among Astros’ GM Finalists

    Mike Clevinger Under Investigation For Domestic Violence Allegations

    Arte Moreno No Longer Pursuing Sale Of Angels

    Twins Acquire Michael A. Taylor From Royals

    Padres Sign Nelson Cruz To One-Year Deal

    Sal Bando Passes Away

    Twins, Marlins Swap Luis Arraez For Pablo Lopez In Four-Player Trade

    Marlins To Move Jazz Chisholm To Center Field

    Recent

    Orioles Sign Curtis Terry To Minor League Contract

    Trio Of Free Agent Pitchers Work Out For Clubs

    Guardians’ Prospect George Valera Recovering From Hand Surgery

    Brewers Sign Skye Bolt, Colin Rea To Minor League Contracts

    Rangers Sign Danny Duffy, Clint Frazier, Travis Jankowski To Minor League Contracts

    Cardinals Sign Andrew Suarez To Minor League Deal

    Braves Extend Manager Brian Snitker Through 2025

    Mets To Extend Jeff McNeil

    Rays Sign Pete Fairbanks To Extension

    Nationals Sign Alex Colome

    MLBTR Newsletter - Hot stove highlights in your inbox, five days a week

    Latest Rumors & News

    Latest Rumors & News

    • Offseason Outlook Series
    Trade Rumors App for iOS and Android

    MLBTR Features

    MLBTR Features

    • Go Ad-Free
    • Projected Arbitration Salaries For 2023
    • 2022-23 MLB Free Agent List
    • MLB Player Chats
    • Transaction Tracker
    • Extension Tracker
    • Agency Database
    • MLBTR On Twitter
    • MLBTR On Facebook
    • Team Facebook Pages
    • How To Set Up Notifications For Breaking News
    • Hoops Rumors
    • Pro Football Rumors
    • Pro Hockey Rumors

    Rumors By Team

    • Angels Rumors
    • Astros Rumors
    • Athletics Rumors
    • Blue Jays Rumors
    • Braves Rumors
    • Brewers Rumors
    • Cardinals Rumors
    • Cubs Rumors
    • Diamondbacks Rumors
    • Dodgers Rumors
    • Giants Rumors
    • Guardians Rumors
    • Mariners Rumors
    • Marlins Rumors
    • Mets Rumors
    • Nationals Rumors
    • Orioles Rumors
    • Padres Rumors
    • Phillies Rumors
    • Pirates Rumors
    • Rangers Rumors
    • Rays Rumors
    • Red Sox Rumors
    • Reds Rumors
    • Rockies Rumors
    • Royals Rumors
    • Tigers Rumors
    • Twins Rumors
    • White Sox Rumors
    • Yankees Rumors

    ad: 160x600_MLB

    Navigation

    • Sitemap
    • Archives
    • Feeds by Team

    MLBTR INFO

    • Advertise
    • About
    • Commenting Policy
    • Privacy Policy

    Connect

    • Contact Us
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • RSS Feed

    MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

    hide arrowsFOX Sports Engage Network scroll to top
    Close

    Desktop Version | Switch To Mobile Version