Brewers: Lewis Brinson making the most of a second opportunity
By Bill Pivetz
Brewers recalled Lewis Brinson to add outfield depth. He had a rough performance in his first time with Milwaukee. Things look different this round.
Ah, it feels good not to talk about an injury. The Milwaukee Brewers have slipped a bit in the National League Central standings. The team has made a couple of moves to improve some weak points on the roster. Wanting to add bench depth, the Brewers recalled outfielder Lewis Brinson.
Brinson made his first appearance on June 11. He was then sent down after the June 25 game. In those 14 games, he made just seven starts and hit 0.097/.200/.161 with three hits, three walks and 13 strikeouts.
This was very disappointing because, after the numbers he posted in Triple-A, we expected a lot from Brinson in his first MLB stint.
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In the 45 games with Triple-A Colorado Springs before being called up, Brinson hit .312/.397/.503 with six home runs, 25 RBI, 41 runs scored, 45:22 K:BB ratio and seven steals in 12 attempts. He showed a great combination of contact, power, speed and plate discipline.
However, none of that was brought over with the move to Milwaukee.
After being sent back down, Brinson continued to rake in Colorado Springs. In 22 games, he hit .404 with four homers, 18 RBI, 22 runs, four steals and a 13:9 K:BB ratio. Again, he was piling up stats in all categories.
Now, Brinson was brought back up on Wednesday. Fantasy owners were clearly not jumping on the bandwagon this time as he was owned in 2.9 percent of ESPN leagues. His ownership has gone up 6.7 percent.
In his first two games back, Brinson looks like a whole new hitter. He went 1-for-3 with a home run in each game. He has a combined three RBI. While I would rather see more hits and steals than home runs, this is a great improvement over his first stint.
Brinson will join Ryan Braun and Domingo Santana in the outfield and push Brett Phillips back to the bench. The team also has Keon Broxton and his 14 home runs waiting for a spot.
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While it is a short sample size, Brinson looks to be a better hitter now. With significant playing time coming, he could be a difference maker in head-to-head or Roto leagues. Brinson is widely available so why not take a chance.