When Lorenzo Cain returns to the Brewers, Tyrone Taylor’s role will shift
For the first time since the final day of May, the Milwaukee Brewers will have their top four outfielders healthy and active when they open a six-game road trip Tuesday in Pittsburgh.
So, where will that leave Tyrone Taylor with Lorenzo Cain rejoining the team after a minor-league rehab assignment with Class AAA Nashville?
“I don’t know,” manager Craig Counsell said prior to his team’s first home appearance on ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball since 2013.
“We’re obviously adding an outfielder that’s going to play. But the reason why Tyrone’s gotten this many at-bats to begin with is because things have always popped up.
“It could be where there’s a little bit of a time where it’s difficult to find him at-bats and we get back to it when we can find him some at-bats. We do have 60-some games left. Our DH games (vs. AL opponents on the road) are coming up later in the season, too.
“So, there’s opportunity for players and we’ll find spots for players that are producing, for sure.”
The Brewers appeared to have too many talented players for three spots in the outfield with the return of incumbents Cain, Christian Yelich and Avisaíl García as well as the addition of Jackie Bradley Jr. this spring.
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But, as Counsell noted, that depth has been tested for much of the season with Cain missing a total of 63 games with various leg ailments and Yelich sidelined for 27 games with back issues.
That opened the door for the .253-hitting Taylor, and he has taken advantage of his opportunities – including a third straight start Sunday in which he went 2 for 4 with a triple and run scored in the Brewers’ 3-1 loss.
Taylor homered in consecutive games, including his first grand slam to break open Friday’s victory over the Chicago White Sox.
His totals of nine homers and 31 runs batted in tie him for fourth on the team in both categories despite the fact he’s accrued only 168 at-bats over 65 games in four separate stints with Milwaukee.
Once Cain returns, he likely will play most days in center with Yelich a fixture in left and García – the Brewers’ top run producer with 17 homers and 58 RBI – remaining in right. Bradley would become the fourth outfielder, moving Taylor down to fifth on the depth chart.
If there’s one positive, it’s that Bradley is a left-handed hitter and Taylor right-handed.
But, with other roster moves likely coming with the trading deadline fast approaching on Friday, the expected shuffling could end up costing Taylor because he has a minor-league option remaining.
Cain was set to wrap up a nine-game rehab stint with Nashville on Sunday.
“He’s healthy. Everything’s fine,” Counsell said. “We’ve had really no issues since he’s been there with the hamstring at all.
“Recently he’s stolen some bases. Right off the bat he got tested more defensively, which you don’t always see in the box score. He’s been playing for 2 ½ weeks, so he’s healthy and ready to go.
“The length of this was as much for him to just get into an offensive feel for when he comes back, so that it wasn’t rushed that way.”
Yelich still seeking offensive consistency
It was another tough night at the plate Saturday for Yelich, who went 0 for 4 with three strikeouts.
In an injury-marred, rough season, July has been the least productive month for Yelich, who was batting .222 (14 for 63) in 18 games with one home run, five runs batted in, 18 strikeouts and .664 OPS.
As for what Yelich has been going through of late, Counsell said, “You just keep working and you keep going through the process. There’s days he hasn’t felt great, for sure. There’s days the results haven’t been great. We’ve gone back and forth.
“There’s days the results have looked really good. A couple of days ago, he hit a couple of line drives. You keep working and you keep searching and you keep trying to find something that makes you feel a little better, lets you feel a little more consistent. That’s what you keep doing.”
Counsell noted that Yelich has been above-average with a .386 on-base percentage and .761 OPS. But the power numbers have been way down for the 2018 MVP, with a .373 slugging percentage and only six home runs in 217 at-bats.
“He’s very much contributed to our offense,” Counsell said. A (.761) OPS is above league average. This is a struggle compared to 2019 or the second half of ‘18. If you’re going to use that work, that’s what it is. He has not hit for power.”
Counsell said he has not been tempted to remove Yelich from the top third of the lineup despite the big drop in power.
“Look around the league; .380 on-base percentages, they’re not all over the place,” Counsell said. “He’s still a threat in the lineup. He’s still bringing in the left-handed reliever for other teams.
“The threat (of doing damage) is still changing games, in my opinion. And he’s really hit with men on base (.389 batting average, 1.241 OPS with runners in scoring position in 54 plate appearances). That’s when he’s done his hitting.”
Decision time is coming
With Cain returning and Travis Shaw and Daniel Vogelbach heading out on rehab assignments this week with Nashville, there will be roster decisions to be made in the coming weeks.
And that’s without knowing what players might be added via trade by Friday.
Counsell said he also wants to find playing time for Jace Peterson, whose contributions in recent weeks at various positions were a big factor in the Brewers’ surge into a comfortable lead in first place in the NL Central. Counsell gave Peterson a start at third base Sunday night in the series finale against the White Sox.
Over his previous 27 games, Peterson batted .324 (23 for 71) with two home runs and 13 runs batted in. He also walked 17 times over that stretch contributed to a .457 on-base percentage.
“I don’t think we should discount what Jace Peterson’s done this year, and I’m not going to because Jace has been a really good offensive player this year,” Counsell said. “Jace is still going to play some first base, but as we move into the road trip and the off days lessen (that will be more difficult).
“You see Jace playing third today against a guy (Lance Lynn) that’s really good against right-handed hitters, so that’ll happen as we move forward and I think (he and Rowdy Tellez) will share time (at first base), largely.”
Asked if it were a pleasant problem to have to find playing time for backups such as Taylor and Peterson, who have produced when needed, Counsell said, “That’s how it should be. Ideally, it should be tough to make out a lineup every night. That’s what you want.”
Wong always ready to swing
Leadoff hitter Kolten Wong shows up ready to swing from the get-go, as Chicago starter Carlos Rodon discovered Friday night in the first inning of the Brewers’ 6-1 victory. Wong jumped on the first pitch from Rodon – a fastball, up and in at 89 mph – and tomahawked it into the second deck in right field for a home run.
It was Wong’s third leadoff home run this season and the fifth of his career.
“He’s got that in him, for sure,” Counsell said. “We saw it in spring training a little bit. What a way to open a game. Just the ability to once or twice a year do that, it changes a game right away.”
Being ready to ambush like that also should deter pitchers from throwing “get-it-over” fastballs merely to get ahead in the count, Counsell noted.
“That’s a good thing for the pitcher to know right away, and they do,” he said.
