MIAMI – Could Tyler Black be in Milwaukee in short order?
It sure seems possible.
The Brewers 25-year-old prospect returned to Class AAA Nashville on April 19 from a short stay on the 7-day injured list with a right shoulder impingement. With the big-league club’s outfield picture still in flux due to injuries to Jackson Chourio and Christian Yelich, Black is an option to help out in the short-term.
It was a topic of conversation during the daily meeting between manager Pat Murphy and the front office prior to the series finale in Miami April 19.
“We just talked about it,” Murphy said. “We want to see where he’s at, see his health, because that could help. Hopefully Chourio’s coming quick, [Andrew] Vaughn’s coming quick, Yeli soon after that.”
Black had a strong showing in spring, displaying greater aggressiveness at the plate but played in only five games for Nashville before landing on the injured list. He likely would have already been up with Milwaukee, which had added Luis Matos and Greg Jones to the roster despite not being on the 40-man initially, already otherwise.
Black has 57 career at-bats in the majors to his name and would be used primarily as an outfielder, where he played all but nine of his innings to start the year in Nashville.
Brewers finding more off days for William Contreras
Catcher William Contreras was out of the lineup entirely for a third time through the team’s first 21 games. While that would be normal for most catchers in the majors, it is noteworthy for Contreras, who famously demands to play just about every single day.
A year ago, Contreras appeared in 150 games despite playing with a broken finger. The year before, it was 155. He didn’t take a day off for nearly three months last summer.
The Brewers, Murphy said, are trying to manage his workload a bit differently, a process that has input from Contreras himself.
“That’s not really a change,” he said. “Trying to pick spots where he might go. You might see him go 10, 12 games in a row. But we got to pick spots where we can really get him a good enough rest. Thinking of our upcoming schedule, the number of games in a row, the lack of off-days coming up, this was a great opportunity. I actually took the cue from William.”
With 12 games in their next 13 days following an April 20 off-day in Detroit, Contreras was more than receptive to the idea to get a two-day break.
“I think he’s getting a little less combative about it,” Murphy said. “He understands this is probably best for me.”
Craig Yoho begins rehab assignment
The Brewers also sent right-handed reliever Craig Yoho on a rehab assignment to Nashville. Yoho suffered a right soleus (calf) strain in late March and hasn’t appeared in a game yet.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Why Tyler Black might be an option soon in the Brewers outfield
Reporting by Curt Hogg, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
