Brewers load up on infield depth with latest roster move

On Sunday evening, it was reported that the Milwaukee Brewers were promoting Anthony Seigler, an infield and catching prospect, to the major leagues for his MLB debut. However, at the time, no corresponding move was announced, resulting in speculation that Seigler would be replacing fellow infielder Andruw Monasterio, who has minor league options remaining, on the Brewers’ active roster.

However, as announced by the Brewers on Tuesday afternoon, Monasterio will remain on the roster, and Seigler will instead be replacing outfielder Daz Cameron, who has been designated for assignment. Cameron joined the Brewers organization in early April in a trade for Grant Wolfram that coincided with the front office's early-season Quinn Priester deal. Cameron, the son of former Brewers center fielder Mike Cameron, was promoted to the major league roster on April 26 and had remained on it ever since (apart from a brief three-day stint on the paternity list).

Despite being on the Brewers roster for more than two months, Cameron never really got the opportunity to prove himself, collecting just 41 at-bats during his tenure in Milwaukee. In those limited chances, Cameron slashed .195/.214/.293 with 13 strikeouts and only one walk. The Brewers, who could still use depth at the outfield position in the minor leagues, now hope that Cameron passes through waivers and remains in the organization.

With Seigler and Monasterio on the roster, Brewers have plenty of infield depth

Despite both Joey Ortiz and Caleb Durbin swinging hot bats as of late, the Brewers are stockpiling infield depth on their major league roster, with Seigler and Monasterio both serving as infield bench options. Of the four players mentioned in the last sentence, Seigler, a switch hitter, is the only one who can hit from the left side, which could mean more at-bats for the 26-year-old Swiss Army knife.

Assuming that Christian Yelich won't see much more time in the outfield (he's made just six starts on the outfield grass all season), that leaves just four players on the Brewers' roster who are capable of manning an outfield position: Jake Bauers, Jackson Chourio, Isaac Collins, and Sal Frelick.

With Blake Perkins nearing a return, it's possible that the Brewers are giving Monasterio just a couple more games to prove he's worthy of a roster spot, but it's unlikely that he will even receive many opportunities prior to Perkins coming back. It feels inevitable that in a few days’ time, Monasterio will be sent down to Triple-A, and Garrett Mitchell will be transferred to the 60-day IL to make room on the active and 40-man rosters for Blake Perkins.

Easton McGee rejoins big league roster, Rob Zastryzny to the 15-day IL

In a less anticipated roster move than the Seigler promotion, the Brewers are also swapping relief pitchers ahead of their series opener with the New York Mets this evening. Right-hander Easton McGee, who will be rejoining the Brewers for his third stint this season, has been re-called from Triple-A Nashville, and Rob Zastyzny has been placed on the 15-day IL, retroactive to last Friday, with an unspecified injury.

This could also be a swan song for McGee, whose 40-man roster spot could be in jeopardy with the approaching return of Brandon Woodruff. McGee seemingly will have one more opportunity to prove himself at the major league level before facing a potential DFA. That said, McGee has been sharp in his first two stints with the Crew this season, despite making just one appearance in each. He pitched a scoreless inning with one strikeout during his first stint on May 21, and tossed three innings on June 11 against the Atlanta Braves, surrendering just one run and striking out three.

Meanwhile, Zastryzny has been an excellent addition to the bullpen for the Brewers this season, holding a 2.03 ERA in 15 appearances. Hopefully, his time on the IL is brief, and the Brewers get their valuable southpaw back in their bullpen in no time. Stay tuned for more updates on Rob Z's injury.