Milwaukee Brewers: Impact of Stephen Vogt’s Return

Milwaukee Brewers catcher Stephen Vogt is currently with the Single-A Wisconsin Timber Rattlers on a rehab assignment. He will return to the Major League club soon. His return is huge for a team that is struggling on offense and has no reliable option other than Manny Pina.

Stephen Vogt‘s numbers on the season as a whole, including with Oakland, are not very good. However, with the Milwaukee Brewers, he has done very well. He also puts another powerful left-handed bat in the lineup

With the Brewers, Vogt has played 12 games, posting a .250 batting average, a very good .991 OPS, and four home runs. Those four home runs equal the total number he had in 54 games with Oakland. His recent production shows how he has improved since he was picked up by Milwaukee.

Vogt’s success goes along with starting catcher Manny Pina, who has had a surprisingly good year. Pina is hitting .287 with eight home runs, and he also provides a lot of defensive value. He leads the league in pickoffs from the catcher position, and his arm has helped to control the running game all season. Pina and Vogt together form a solid catching duo.

Another reason why Vogt’s return is so needed is because the other option to Pina right now is Andrew Susac. In limited action with the Brewers, Susac has done nothing productive. Susac has dealt with injuries this season. That’s a big reason why he wasn’t on the team to start the year. Now he is healthy, but he isn’t a good enough option to want to start him over Pina, even for an occasional day off.

The normal backup catcher would be Jett Bandy, who is currently on the disabled list with a fractured rib. Bandy will most likely go to Triple-A Colorado Springs when he returns. The Brewers won’t need Bandy on the roster when Vogt is back to the Brewers.

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Stephen Vogt brings another big lefty bat into the Brewers lineup that really needs it. He also provides opportunity to give Manny Pina a day off every now and again. Days off for catchers are extremely important, especially down the stretch run of a 162-game season. Also, even when Pina is starting, Vogt provides a powerful bat off the bench if needed in a late game situation.