Brewers' top prospect's second untimely injury challenges organization's infield depth

For the second time in a little over one month, a Milwaukee Brewers infielder has gone down with a hamstring injury that has required a stint on the injured list. Back on July 7, David Hamilton sustained a hamstring strain that kept him out for 24 days. Then, ahead of Sunday's series finale against the Minnesota Twins, standout rookie shortstop Cooper Pratt landed on the injured list with the same diagnosis.

Pratt's injury, combined with Joey Ortiz's lingering neck/back soreness, which once again kept him out of the lineup on Monday night, has resulted in Hamilton taking over at shortstop, Brice Turang briefly seeing time at the position on Sunday afternoon, and Milwaukee signing former Pittsburgh Pirates utility man Ji Hwan Bae to serve as infield depth.

Additionally, Andrew Vaughn has now made consecutive starts at third base, getting the nod in Sunday's series finale against the Minnesota Twins and remaining in the lineup at the position for the start of the San Diego Padres series. Vaughn had made occasional late-game appearances at third base earlier this season, but had not started at the hot corner since 2021.

For those wondering where prospect Jett Williams has been throughout both of these challenges to the Brewers' infield depth, unfortunately, injuries have kept the Brewers' Top 100 prospect from taking advantage of potential opportunities and making his MLB debut. On both occasions -- Hamilton and Pratt's hamstring injuries -- Williams was dealing with a wrist injury, which popped up just as his path to the big leagues cleared up.

Jett Williams once again misses big-league opportunity due to wrist injury

Prior to the All-Star break, Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that Williams, who was acquired in the offseason Freddy Peralta blockbuster, would have been promoted for his MLB Debut back in early July had he not injured his wrist. Now, in a sick twist of fate, Williams was activated off the IL on August 8 but re-aggravated the wrist during his first plate appearance back, just as an opportunity at the big-league level opened up.

This unfortunate timing has not only delayed Williams' MLB debut but also raised additional questions about his long-term outlook. He is now headed to Arizona to receive an evaluation from a specialist, which should provide more clarity on the situation.

Notably, Williams, who is slashing .233/.340/.384 in 81 Triple-A games this year, has a history of wrist issues, having undergone surgery in 2024 to address a TFCC tear. With multiple bouts of wrist trouble sidelining him this year, the Brewers will understandably want to take a cautious approach with one of their top prospects.

However, all this comes with a cost, as Milwaukee is now forced to test its organizational depth, which includes Vaughn handling third base, Turang playing shortstop situationally, and Bae all of a sudden being a part of the race for the National League's top seed after spending the entirety of the 2026 season with the New York Mets' Triple-A squad.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow