Milwaukee Brewers: Could Jett Bandy start at catcher?

Stephen Vogt is going to miss the next few weeks with a strained right shoulder. Manny Pina is nursing a sore calf. Could Jett Bandy end up as the every day catcher for the Milwaukee Brewers?

If Spring Training is a war of attrition, Jett Bandy is already winning. Stephen Vogt needed a solid spring to lock down a roster spot. He might sneak into a few games as a DH this week, but he’s unlikely to play behind the plate until mid-March at the earliest. Manny Pina has a sore calf that has limited his time behind the plate. Bandy is the only Brewers catcher who is fully healthy. Does he have a shot at the starting job?

How’s Bandy doing this spring?

Bandy owns a .278/.316/.333 slash line in 19 plate appearances this spring. He’s walked once, struck out five times, and owns one extra base hit, a double. He’s not exactly setting the world on fire while Vogt is out and Pina is limited.

Forget starting, will Bandy make the team?

That depends on Vogt. If Stephen Vogt isn’t ready to go for the Milwaukee Brewers on Opening Day, he’ll spend a week or two on the disabled list. Bandy would slot in as the backup catcher. Pina would still start as long as his calf injury doesn’t linger. But if Vogt can swing a bat and play the field, Bandy will head to Colorado Springs to start the season. He won’t get called up until there’s an injury or a long stretch of really poor performance.

Even with the injury to Vogt and Pina’s sore calf, Bandy is unlikely to make the roster unless he has a ridiculous spring. At present, he’s not really having a ridiculous spring.

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Bandy was an intriguing name when he was in the Angels Minor League system, but he’s yet to have success at the Major League level. He’s going to turn 28 before the end of March. Time isn’t on his side, but it took Pina a long time before he got a chance to really prove himself with the Milwaukee Brewers. Bandy could follow a similar career path, but it’s not looking likely based on the early results.