Shortstop Alex Gonzalez and outfielder Carlos Gomez joined first baseman Mat Gamel on the disabled list May 5th as the latest casualties of the Milwaukee Brewers' disastrous California portion of their nine game road trip that started on April 27th. The Brewers brought up infielder Brooks Conrad from Triple A Nashville to replace Gamel on May4th, and now two more infielders from the Sounds will replace Gonzalez and Gomez.
One of the call ups is Taylor Green, who hit .270 in 20 games with Milwaukee late in the season in 2011. Green's primary position is third base, but he's also logged time at both second base and first base in his professional career. He's hit .287 in 27 games for Nashville in 2012. I'm glad to see Green back with Milwaukee. He's hit well in the minors (.336 with 22 homers and 88 RBIs in 122 games for Nashville in 2011) and I felt he could have made the club as a backup infielder this spring. The Brewers decided to go with Cesar Izturis as their lone backup infielder, and Green returned to the minors.
Neither Green nor Conrad plays shortstop, so Milwaukee promoted Edwin Maysonet to replace Gonzalez. Maysonet hit .296 in 18 Cactus League games this spring, and was one of the later cuts. He's gotten off to a slow start with Nashville, hitting just .214 in 25 games, but in 2011 he hit .290 in 103 games for the Sounds. Maysonet appeared in 46 games with the Houston Astros in 2008 and 2009, and hit .276.
Despite his slow start at the plate, I think Maysonet's hitting will be adequate. The real question is how well he does in the field. Gonzalez was a big upgrade over Yuniesky Betancourt's shaky defense of last season, so I hope Maysonet can get the job done with his glove. Izturis will probably see some starts at shortstop as well, and while he has great defensive skills, he doesn't hit well (.190 in 13 games this season).
While Gamel and Gonzalez are looking at lengthy stays on the disabled list, Gomez will probably be ready to return after his 15 days are up. Since both Conrad and Green are backup infielders, I'd figure one of them would be sent down when Gomez returns. Maysonet's stay will depend on how well he plays, and the projected length of Gonzalez' recovery. If Gonzalez is out for the year, and Maysonet doesn't play well, the Brewers may have to make a trade for a shortstop.
A Featured Contributor in Sports for the Yahoo! Contributor Network, Mark Hudziak has been a fan of the Brewers since they moved to Milwaukee in 1970.
Sources:
Bumgarner leads Giants past Brewers 5-2
Nashville Sounds Official Website
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Travis Ishikawa Replacing the Injured Mat Gamel at First Base for Milwaukee Brewers: Fan Reaction
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