The Brewers are inclined to return the shortstop work to Orlando Arcia, when giving third base to Travis Shaw, by Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. Luis Urías, for his part, can start the year at Triple-A. Urías was hampered by an injury to the tendon of his left thigh, which may be responsible for a potential drawdown earlier in the season.
The Brewers were hopeful that the former top contender would show enough to claim an initial domestic job this spring, going as far as auditing Arcia at different points around the diamond. If Urías isn’t running at full speed, Brewers can use their secondary league options as a means of keeping Daniel Robertson and Billy McKinney, each of whom they would have to expose to exemptions if they didn’t start the season on the list.
McKinney was not chosen to stay in Milwaukee, but he did his part with a strong spring, writes Andrew Wagner of the Wisconsin State Journal. The Brewers do not have an absolute need for McKinney, but it does help that the left-handed outfielder can also play at first base.
More from Milwaukee:
- It was a difficult spring training for Eric Lauer, as Tom Haudricourt and Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel noted. Over five starts between three matches, the southpaw went on seven rides and gave up three home runs. The Brewers chose Lauer for Triple-A Nashville on Friday, taking him out of the mix for a rotating opening point of the season. Purchased from the Fathers as part of the business that also brought Urías and sent Trent Grisham and Zach Davies, Lauer suffered during a brutal first season in Milwaukee. He allowed 16 runs in 11 entries last year, issuing nine walks and eliminating 12.
- Lorenzo Cain and Devin Williams made their Cactus League debut in Saturday night’s game against the Reds, Haudricourt and Rosiak were among those who relayed. Cain, delayed by a hip injury at the beginning of the camp, had three appearances on the plate and played in the center of the field. He will rest on Sunday, but hopes to be back in the lineup on Monday. The Brewers acted cautiously with Williams, who missed the playoff series last year due to a shoulder injury. The current NL Liberator of the Year says he will have “three or four” other appearances before Opening Day, according to Haudricourt and Rosiak.