Brewers: The 12 Most Deserving Candidates For September Call Ups

We are just days away from the Brewers active roster expanding from 26 to 28 players. The two extra spots will allow the Brewers to have another bench bat and another arm for the pitching staff. The tough part will be deciding who gets those two spots.

The Brewers have built themselves a lot of depth on their 40 man roster and they will have no shortage of options to choose from as they expand their roster for the final month of the regular season.

These 12 players are the most likely and most deserving options to earn a September call up when rosters expand.

Position Players (already on 40 man)

Owen Miller, Jahmai Jones, Abraham Toro

Even though the active roster will expand, players still need to be on the 40 man roster. While the Brewers could clear space for any non-roster players they want to pick up, it may simply be easier for the Brewers to call up someone already on the 40 man.

All three of Owen Miller, Jahmai Jones, and Abraham Toro have been with the big league club at various points this season.

Miller had the most successful stretch of the three. He fell into a slump, leading to his demotion, but has done well with Nashville, hitting a solid .277 with a .781 OPS for the Sounds. Owen Miller's versatility and recent success at the plate could make him a leading candidate for a September call up.

Jahmai Jones had some big hits when the Brewers needed him, but then he began to struggle. Jones is hitting just .236 for Nashville, but has an .826 OPS and seven of his 17 hits down there have gone for extra bases. He's also drawn 20 walks to 19 strikeouts, and that kind of on base ability, plus his speed make him a viable option.

Abraham Toro has seemingly done nothing but rake when he's up in Milwaukee yet he hasn't gotten much run. Toro is hitting .444/.524/.778 with a 1.302 OPS and two homers with the Brewers, but only has 21 plate appearances. In Nashville, Toro's hitting .288 with 27 doubles and a .834 OPS. He's not only deserving of a call up, he's deserving of some playing time in the big leagues as well.

Pitchers (Already on 40 man)

Eric Lauer, Colin Rea, JB Bukauskas

The Brewers will have a stretch of 17 games in a row without an off day in September, which could lead Craig Counsell to use a six man rotation. If the Brewers decide to go that route, they have some good candidates to go with, but will also look to have them help out of the bullpen as needed.

Eric Lauer might be a forgotten name among some fans this year. He struggled to get going, then was placed on the IL, then quietly demoted and taken off the field, going to the pitching lab in Arizona to figure things out. He's since gotten back on the mound in Triple-A Nashville and has pitched well. Lauer has a 2.76 ERA in 16.1 IP since returning from his month and a half layoff in late July. Since he's seemingly back to normal, he could make sense as a swingman out of the bullpen with plenty of big league experience and he gives Counsell another left hander.

Colin Rea was unexpectedly relied on heavily in the first half of the season, racking up 19 starts and 100.1 IP with a 5.11 ERA. Although the ERA climbed toward the end, Rea for the most part kept the Brewers in ball games and was fairly solid. He helped get the Brewers through a tough time when some key starters were injured and has a 2.50 ERA in four starts in Nashville.

J.B. Bukauskas was picked up off waivers earlier this year and only accumulated three innings of work with the Brewers. He only allowed one run in those three innings and was decent before getting injured and subsequently optioned back down once he got healthy. He's been good for Triple-A Nashville, racking up four holds and five saves. If the Brewers are looking for another pure bullpen arm, Bukauskas could be the pick.

Pitchers (not on 40 man)

Robert Gasser, Evan McKendry, Fernando Abad

The Brewers have several non-roster pitchers that are making excellent cases for a September call up. Depending on whether the Brewers want more help in the rotation or in the bullpen, any of these three could help going down the line. Gasser could help in the rotation, McKendry could be a swingman, and Abad is a pure bullpen arm.

The International League's strikeout leader, Robert Gasser, is certainly deserving of a promotion to the big leagues. A top prospect with little left to prove in Triple-A, Gasser would fit the classic mold of a September call up. He has a 3.85 ERA in 119.1 IP with 147 strikeouts. However, the Brewers may want to ease him into the big leagues as a reliever, as they've done with several other top pitching prospects, but he hasn't begun a transition to the bullpen yet in order to get him to Milwaukee faster. If they haven't done it by now, it's too late to start it for this year.

Evan McKendry was acquired from the Rays in a Trade Deadline swap of minor leaguers. The Brewers sent catcher Alex Jackson in return. McKendry has spent this season in Triple-A and since coming over to Milwaukee, he has a 3.75 ERA in four starts with the Sounds. The 25 year old is essentially big league ready and could help out as rotation depth or a long reliever out of the bullpen.

Fernando Abad was just signed by the Brewers the other day to a minor league deal. He's a 37 year old veteran of 11 big league seasons and is a left hander. With Andrew Chafin's struggles, the Brewers could be looking for another southpaw for their bullpen and they may not like their current 40 man options in Ethan Small, Clayton Andrews, and Bennett Sousa.

These 12 candidates are the most likely options for the Brewers when rosters expand by two on September 1st. There's also the possibility of a player returning from the injured list earning one or both of those spots. Jesse Winker is on a rehab assignment and could take a spot. Julio Teheran is now out on rehab as well.