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.

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

1. OF Jonathan Davis

The 2022 Brewers offense actually hasn’t been terrible as they currently sit 10th in the league at 4.51 runs per game. The offense has struggled with consistency at times, though, and the center field position has been responsible for some of that.

Once long time Milwaukee center fielder Lorenzo Cain was let go earlier this season after a slow offensive start to the season, the team added 30-year-old Jonathan Davis to the 40-man roster. Like in Kelley’s case, his 2022 minor league stats were a big reason for the move.

In 38 games, primarily as a leadoff hitter for the Sounds, Davis slashed an impressive .297/.408/.426 with eight doubles, a triple, three homers, and 22 runs scored. He also went 11-for-12 in stolen base attempts.

In 36 games with the Brewers, Davis has produced a decent .344 on base percentage as well as a handful of highlight reel defensive plays. That’s largely where the good news ends, though, as he has batted just .224, slugged a lowly .237, and struck out 28.6% of the time.

Milwaukee has a few young players who would make sense to add to the roster come September in Esteury Ruiz, who is already on the 40-man, and Brice Turang and Sal Frelick, who are not. All three have played center field at Triple-A this season.

And while Davis’s center field mate, Tyrone Taylor, has struggled offensively as well this season, he has at least been able to produce some runs with a .682 OPS, 12 homers, and 40 RBIs in 91 games. There’s a good chance that means Davis finds himself as the odd man out.

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The Brewers are still in the playoff hunt, but a little September spark couldn’t hurt. Unfortunately, someone else on the roster may have to pay the price.