Milwaukee Brewers: Keston Hiura To DH Early On

The question marks regarding health of the Milwaukee Brewers top prospect Keston Hiura are popping up once again.

It has been announced that Hiura will DH through much of the early part of the season. The Milwaukee Brewers 2017 first round selection was known for the talent in his bat, but his glove and health were serious concerns.

Unfortunately, the glove is not the main concern at this point. Per farm director Tom Flanagan, all of the throwing in Spring Training left Hiura with minor elbow discomfort. The cautious approach is not all that surprising considering how highly touted the second baseman is.

Is Hiura The Future?

It would seem that way. If the team did not see Hiura becoming a regular at second base in the long run, then Neil Walker would have gotten signed this offseason. Looking at the organization, it seems as if the Brewers are just biding time until their top prospect is ready to take the reigns.

The issue is that he needs to stay healthy. There were elbow issues during his last year in college, and they were well-documented at the time of the draft. Hiura should be healthy, and this could just be soreness. It could also be the beginning stages of something that fans and the organization alike do not want to hear.

Second Base Picture Without Hiura

This is awful to think about, but if a serious injury does occur, it could throw off the entire future plans at the position. Jonathan Villar is still young, and he is studying Joey Votto’s approach. The hope is that he will find himself once again. It is too early to really tell if that is happening.

In the prospect world, Mauricio Dubon would seem a likely candidate to earn the position. He is in Triple A right now, and he is just about ready for a shot. If there are struggles with finding a second baseman again this year, Dubon will likely get a shot.

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There are options without Hiura, but Hiura’s bat will not be matched. We may not know what it looks like in the majors, but it will be hyped up enough to make fans sad if they don’t see it. They say the issue is minor, so fingers crossed that they are not downplaying the pain.