Brewers news: Joey Ortiz reinstated from IL, Craig Yoho recalled, Luis Urías signed

It may be a holiday weekend, but the Milwaukee Brewers' front office can't afford to take any time off. With the team entering the final month of the season holding the best record in all of baseball, now is not the time to sit back and see how things unfold. No, now is the time to get meticulous, to find small ways to better prepare the Crew for their stretch run.

As such, the Brewers have made a flurry of roster moves in the last few days. One is the result of the waiver claim system that has dominated baseball headlines over the last week. Teams who have fallen out of contention are placing their expensive veteran players on waivers in hopes that a contending team will pick them up and cover the rest of their 2025 salary.

The other roster moves that the Brewers have made are a result of the expanded September rosters that took effect this morning. All MLB teams are allowed to add two players to their 26-man active rosters for the duration of the month, and the only restriction is that teams can't carry more than 14 total pitchers. Most teams elect to carry the full 14 pitchers as it allows them to give more rest to their relievers or pull their starters earlier in games.

Here's a recap of the three roster moves that the Brewers made over the last two days, and what it means for their roster going forward.

Joey Ortiz reinstated from the 10-day IL, in the starting lineup for Monday's series opener against Philadelphia

When Joey Ortiz was placed on the 10-day IL back on August 22 with a left hamstring strain, the Brewers were hopeful that their everyday shortstop would spend the minimum amount of time on the IL before rejoining the active roster. Now, 10 days later, that hope has come true, as Ortiz is set to make his return this afternoon when the Brewers open their series with the Philadelphia Phillies.

While losing Ortiz, and especially his glove at shortstop, was a tough blow for the Brew Crew, his replacement, Andruw Monasterio, filled in impressively in his absence. In fact, since Ortiz went on the IL on August 22, Mona has been slashing a ridiculous .371/.405/.657 with two homers and four doubles.

That said, having their everyday guy, Ortiz, back in the starting lineup is still a welcomed development for the Brewers. Not only does his return shore up Milwaukee's middle infield defense, which is one of the best in baseball, but Ortiz himself was hitting well before landing on the IL. In the 15 games prior to his hamstring strain, he was slashing .320/.358/.400 with 15 RBI and just two strikeouts.

While it's possible that the Brewers give Mona some more at-bats over the next few weeks to keep his hot bat in the lineup and give Ortiz some rest down the stretch, Joey O is in the starting lineup for today's Labor Day tilt with the Phillies, batting ninth and manning shortstop for the Crew.

Brewers add Craig Yoho to the bullpen with extra September roster spot

As predicted, the Brewers used their extra position player roster spot to add an injured player back to their active roster without having to send someone down. However, to fill their extra pitcher roster spot, the Brew Crew has elected to add intriguing relief pitching prospect Craig Yoho back to the big league roster.

Yoho is back in the majors for his fourth stint this season, and his first three tries have resulted in a bag of mixed results. While he has shown flashes of brilliance, particularly during his first stint back in April, struggles with command have prevented Yoho from maintaining a regular spot in the Brewers' bullpen. A brutal 23.7% walk rate is the main culprit for his shuttling back and forth between Triple-A and MLB, and with eight walks in his last 11.2 innings for the Nashville Sounds, it's clear that those command struggles have yet to subside.

However, even with the elevated walk numbers at the minor league level, Yoho is sporting a 1.04 season ERA against Triple-A hitters. His changeup remains an elite pitch, and if he can locate his four-seamer with more consistency, it's possible that Yoho catches fire down the stretch. If that happens, don't be surprised if the Brewers find a way to include their talented young reliever on their postseason roster, as his high strikeout potential is a coveted trait in October.

Brewers sign their 2023 Opening Day third baseman, Luis Urías, to minor league deal

Sitting more than 10 games out of a Wild Card spot, the Athletics decided to part with one of their veteran pieces, 28-year-old Luis Urías. Many teams around MLB are currently trying to offload some of their players on expiring contracts in an effort to save some money down the stretch. However, such a strategy requires another team to claim that player before they clear waivers. Urías went unclaimed and was subsequently released by the Athletics, meaning they are on the hook for the rest of his 2025 salary, which is around 180K according to Mark Polishuk of MLB Trade Rumors.

Urías, who has bounced around to three different teams since he last played for the Brew Crew in 2023, got off to a hot start in 2025, posting a .740 OPS through the first two months of the season. However, Urías cooled off considerably over the last three months and his season OPS now sits at a pedestrian .653. He continues to show impressive plate discipline, but both his power numbers and his defensive metrics have dipped considerably since leaving Milwaukee.

While the Brewers did sign Urías prior to the September 1 deadline that allows a player to be postseason eligible, they did not add him to the 40-man roster, which, according to MLB.com, means that Urías couldn't suit up for the Brewers in the playoffs should they need him to. Instead, Urías will simply serve as an insurance policy during the month of September should multiple Brewers' infielders go down with injuries. Regardless, it's good to have "Wicho" back in the organization.