Brewers: 5 Players Likely To Lose 40 Man Roster Spots In Coming Days

2. Tim Lopes

Tim Lopes was already down on the utilityman depth chart, having clearly fallen behind Pablo Reyes. With the addition of Willy Adames and then Eduardo Escobar, the chances of Lopes getting another shot are slim.

He didn’t impress in his limited opportunity with the big league club and although he does have options remaining, he’s a little too far down on the depth chart to still be holding a 40 man roster spot when this team is at full strength.

Luis Urias is being relegated from an everyday player to a utility option after the Escobar addition, which pushes Reyes down the depth chart another spot and in turn pushes Lopes down even further.

Lopes also isn’t exactly dominating at Triple-A either, hitting just .220 with a .685 OPS in 59 games. He was acquired last offseason off waivers from the Mariners. He missed the first part of the season and the battle for utility spots with a hip injury that put him on the 60 Day IL to start the year.

3. Travis Shaw

Travis Shaw is already off the 40 man roster on account of being on the 60 Day IL after suffering a shoulder injury back in June. He’s on a rehab assignment right now, getting ready to return soon.

But when he’s eligible to come off the IL and return to the 40 man roster, will there be a spot for him?

Since he’s been gone, Luis Urias proved he could handle third base on a regular basis and the Brewers have added two other corner infielders in Escobar and Rowdy Tellez. Escobar will take the bulk of the third base opportunities while Rowdy Tellez has performed well against righties at first base.

His primary position of third base is taken care of between Escobar and Urias while his secondary position of first base is handled well by Escobar and Tellez.

Where does Shaw fit in?

It’s not like Shaw was knocking the cover off the ball prior to his injury. He’s hitting just .191 with a .616 OPS and 69 wRC+ on the season with six home runs. He started off hot in the first few weeks, but struggled in May and June. He was already on the verge of losing his starting job to Urias right before his injury.

In four rehab games in Triple-A so far, Shaw has gone 2-for-9 with three walks and three strikeouts.

Don’t be surprised if Shaw gets activated from the IL and then designated for assignment. The team has been cruising since and he doesn’t have a job right now. He could be a big bat off the bench, but he wasn’t hitting consistently well enough before to inspire much confidence he could make an impact in that role.