Brewers: 3 Players Who Could Lose Their Roster Spot on Sept. 1st

It may be hard to believe, but September is right around the corner. And though it might seem hard for some fans to believe lately, the Milwaukee Brewers are once again right in the thick of the playoff picture.

After a having a rough go of it coming out of the trade deadline, the Crew have seen the St. Louis Cardinals start to tighten their grip on the NL Central division. Going into Saturday, the Brewers find themselves six games back of the Cards in the division race.

While Milwaukee will do their best to catch St. Louis in September, a Wild Card spot could still be on the table if they don’t. Currently, the Brewers sit just 2.5 games back of the San Diego Padres for the final Wild Card spot and five games behind the Philadelphia Phillies for the second one.

To try and secure one of those spots, the Brewers will likely try to call up some players when rosters expand on September 1st. There are a number of position players the team could try to add as well as some pitchers who have returned from rehab assignments who could be in the mix.

Depending on who they add, the Brewers may need to designate a player from the 40-man roster for assignment to balance things out. Should that indeed be the case, there are a few players who would be most likely to see their roster spot taken from them.

Here are three Brewers players who could lose their 40-man roster spot on September 1st.

3. RHP Trevor Kelley

Originally on a minor league contract, 29-year-old Trevor Kelley found himself added to the 40-man roster in May when the Brewers found themselves short a couple bullpen arms. Judging by his numbers at Triple-A Nashville at the time, the move made sense.

Prior to joining the big-league ball club, Kelley had given up just one earned run and 10 hits through 13 innings for the Sounds. However, he never came close to replicating that success with the Brewers.

In 21 innings pitched across various stints for Milwaukee in 2022, Kelley has put up a 6.00 ERA and a 1.43 WHIP. He has allowed opposing batters to hit .259 and has given up seven home runs on the season. That’s one home run given up every three innings, for those counting at home.

The Brewers are currently a little heavy on pitchers on their 40-man roster with 22. So even if it’s a position player or two being added to the 40-man come September, a pitcher like Kelley could still see his roster spot in jeopardy.