Brewers: 3 Internal Options To Fill In At 3rd Base With Luis Urias Injured

Brewers third baseman Luis Urias is likely to miss Opening Day while he recovers from a quad injury suffered during the first week of Cactus League play. In his absence, who will cover the hot corner for the Crew?

President of baseball operations David Stearns prides his rosters on their depth at all positions. So even though Urias, the starter, is down for a short period of time, Milwaukee has several options to help cover until he gets back.

Who are some internal candidates to fill in for the injured Luis Urias at third base for the Brewers?

Brewers third base candidate #1: Mike Brosseau

The Brewers acquired Mike Brosseau from the Rays in a trade back in November of last year. Brosseau is a super-utility type that has experience at left field, right field, first base, second base, and third base. Brosseau had an excellent 2020 season with the Rays, hitting .302 in 36 games with a .936 OPS.

Unfortunately for Brosseau, he struggled in 2021 and was pushed to a more limited role in a crowded Rays lineup.

When given regular playing time, Brosseau has shown big potential. His defensive versatility is something the Brewers enjoy and he should get a crack at third base while Urias is out.

Brewers third base candidate #2: Jace Peterson

Another veteran super-utility option, Jace Peterson has been the Crew’s primary backup infielder over the last year or two. Peterson has experience at third base and has been known to go on hot streaks at the plate.

Last season, Peterson hit .247/.348/.367 with six homers and 10 stolen bases in 302 PAs. His numbers were solid, and he’s a reliable enough option to fill in as an injury replacement in the lineup almost everyday until Urias returns.

The Brewers love their left-handed hitting options and Peterson is one of them. With Peterson from the left side and Brosseau hitting from the right side, they have the makings of a solid platoon with those two at the very least to cover for Urias until he’s back to 100%.

Brewers third base candidate #3: Pablo Reyes

Another depth utility option for the Brewers is Pablo Reyes, who is a strong defender in the infield, but his offensive ceiling is pretty minimal.

Last season, Reyes hit .256/.333/.359 in 78 ABs for the Brewers, going up and down throughout the year and serving often as a late-inning defensive replacement.

While Urias is out, Reyes might make the club out of camp as a bench option but he’s still unlikely to regularly crack the starting lineup with Brosseau and Peterson in the fold still. Reyes could back up Adames at shortstop if necessary as the injured Urias is also the Brewers backup shortstop.

Luckily for the Brewers, Urias shouldn’t be out for too long, and he should be back as a regular in the starting lineup before the month of April is up. In the meantime, Milwaukee will have to cover his position with these three options.