Latest Brewers injury update evokes worries of future roster crunch

Despite the Milwaukee Brewers winning 15 of their last 16 games, holding a nine-game lead in the NL Central, and maintaining the best record in baseball for the last three weeks, they are about to get even better. Not only is the team set to return one of their best hitters in Jackson Chourio at some point in the next few weeks, but they are also nearing the returns of two slugging first basemen who could have a big impact on the Brewers' success down the stretch.

Last Thursday, the Brewers sent backup first baseman Jake Bauers to Triple-A Nashville on a rehab assignment. Bauers, who is recovering from a left shoulder impingement, was placed on the injured list back on July 20, so he is eligible to return to the big-league roster as soon as he's healthy enough. Based on his performance, Bauers is seemingly more than ready to rejoin the Brewers' active roster, as he's slugged two home runs and a double in his first three games with the Nashville Sounds.

However, on Tuesday morning, the Brewers may have thrown a wrench into Bauers' plans, as they sent fellow first baseman Rhys Hoskins on a rehab assignment as well. Hoskins, who has been out since early July with a sprained left thumb, will join Bauers in Nashville, creating a logjam of players returning from injury that the Brewers will have to find spots for on the big-league roster.

Rhys Hoskins sent on rehab assignment, difficult roster crunch looms

Something major has happened since Rhys Hoskins went on the IL: Andrew Vaughn. After replacing Hoskins on the active roster, Vaughn has been one of the best first basemen in all of baseball over the last six weeks. He is slashing .325/.391/.598 with nine homers and 35 RBI since taking over as the Brewers’ everyday first baseman, meaning there's no way that Pat Murphy can take his bat out of the lineup.

However, Hoskins, who cooled off considerably prior to going down with his thumb injury, was the Brewers’ best hitter through the first two months of the season, has playoff experience, and is one of Milwaukee's biggest power threats.

Meanwhile, Bauers is the strongest defensive third baseman of the three, and still has some serious pop in his bat despite having a disappointing season at the plate. With his ability to man a corner outfield spot as needed, having Bauers’ powerful left-handed bat on the bench could prove to be very valuable for Pat Murphy's squad down the stretch.

Adding both Bauers and Hoskins to the roster would likely result in the Brewers having to send two of Anthony Seigler, Andruw Monasterio, and Brandon Lockridge down to Triple-A. While Bauers and Hoskins certainly offer more upside with their bats compared to those three bench bats, removing two of Seigler, Monasterio, or Lockridge from the Brewers' bench would have a considerable impact on the Brewers' defensive versatility, which is something that Murphy often relies on late in games.

With the rosters expanding by one extra position player spot on September 1, the Brewers may delay one of Bauers’ or Hoskins' returns until then. In that instance, Bauers, who is farther along in his recovery process, would likely be up first. However, Chourio is also set to return at some point in September, and the Brewers will have to open another roster spot for him. Any way you slice it, Milwaukee is bound to face a difficult roster crunch in the coming weeks, and how they choose to solve it could be very telling about how they envision their postseason roster shaking out.