Milwaukee Brewers: When will Nate Orf get his chance?

The Milwaukee Brewers have called up Tyler Saladino in response to Nick Franklin’s recent injury.

There is some bad luck around potential Milwaukee Brewers second basemen. The commonly thought favorite to take over second base, Mauricio Dubon, tore his ACL. That made Nate Orf a common favorite. But alas, up came Nick Franklin from Double A. Franklin hurt himself in his first game. Now, Tyler Saladino is up.

Where does this leave Nate Orf? The 28 year old has yet to reach the majors despite proven success in Colorado Springs. He has an 18 game hitting streak at the time of publish, which was overshadowed by Dubon’s 23 game hitting streak. It is almost puzzling as to why Orf is still waiting for his chance.

Orf’s Case

He is off to a great start in 2018, but it is nothing new. Orf is hitting over .300 for his career at Triple A through 243 games. Yes, he is in hitting heaven, but his success over a long period of time suggests he is ready for his shot with the Brewers.

In 2018, his 18 game hitting streak gives him a gaudy .381 batting average. He adds on eight steals and a low strikeout rate. Orf has played quite a bit of second base this season as well. It just makes sense that he will eventually get a chance.

Why Not Orf?

Simple, he is not on the 40 man roster. The Brewers would need to make a spot for him and that would require potentially losing someone. That is why Franklin and Saladino were first in line. If only Orf were on already on the 40 man.

Is Orf Next?

Probably. Unless the Milwaukee Brewers decide to give Sogard another chance, they have run out of second baseman in the minors. So, barring Sogard, they would have to teach a first baseman or outfielder to play second base. With that, Orf has to be the next player if Saladino fails. Of course there is also Andres Blanco.

Saladino is a .231 career hitter, but he is pretty solid defensively. He was a recent trade acquisition from the Chicago White Sox for cash. He rounded out the Brewers 40 man at the time. His history says he will probably not be around for too long.

Next: Corey Knebel Is Back In Milwaukee

Long story short, it is about Orf time. There seems to be a lot of obstacles, but there is a lot pointing to it happening soon. Second base for the Milwaukee Brewers is only temporary while Keston Hiura is getting ready. Either way, let’s hope Orf gets the call soon.