Brewers News: Team Adds New Faces to the Dugout in Healy and Mathias

Two new Brewers were added to the active roster on Monday. One of the two already finds himself in the starting lineup for tonight’s game.

After a long weekend layoff due to cancelled games, the Brewers finally get to resume play, not to mention hold their new home opener, tonight against the White Sox. However, there were some roster moves that had to be made first.

Milwaukee lost two position players over the weekend, which prompted today’s moves. First, Lorenzo Cain made the tough decision to opt out of the rest of the season on Saturday. Then, news broke on Sunday that Ryan Braun would be heading to the injured list retroactive to July 30th.

There was much speculation among fans as to who would replace the two players on the roster. Would they swap outfielders for outfielders or go with some other combination? That question was answered today.

The moves mean the Brewers’ active roster is once again full. But since both Ryon Healy and Mark Mathias were already on the 40-man roster, that combined with Cain’s deactivation leaves the 40-man roster at 39.

Healy and Mathias provide more depth for Brewers

With Milwaukee taking a bit hit in their outfield depth in losing Cain and Braun, it would have made sense if the team decided to call up a more natural outfielder like Tyrone Taylor, Corey Ray, or even Keon Broxton to take at least one of the spots. Instead, they opted for more versatility.

Mathias, who would be making his MLB debut if he sees any action while he’s up with the Brewers, had only ever been an infielder up until this season. But the team gave him plenty of work at outfield during Spring Training and Summer Camp and he showed enough aptitude at it for him to be considered a depth piece at the position.

Healy gives manager Craig Counsell an extra bat at either corner infield position, as well as another option at designated hitter, where he is set to debut for the Brewers tonight. While he doesn’t help the outfield situation, Counsell and GM David Stearns must have felt that the addition of Mathias combined with the presence of Logan Morrison and Brock Holt would suffice.

Anderson finally gets his first Brewers start

The reinstatement of Brett Anderson from the IL allows the veteran left-hander to finally make his Milwaukee debut after it was delayed with the weekend’s cancelled games. It also allowed the Brewers to give a bit clearer picture of what the rotation will look like going forward, per Adam McCalvy of MLB.com.

Anderson is on a quest to prove that his 31-start bounceback season in 2019, just the third 30-start season in his 11-year career, was no fluke. If he can, in fact, stay healthy after his brief IL stint to start 2020, he allows for plenty of interesting starting tandems that could be created along with pitchers like Corbin Burnes, Freddy Peralta, Brent Suter, and Eric Lauer.

Healy, Mathias, Anderson, and the rest of the crew restart their season tonight against the White Sox at 7:10pm CST. The quest for a third consecutive playoff spot begins yet again.