Brian Anderson Becoming The Forgotten Man On The Brewers Roster

There's getting lost in the shuffle and then there's what's happening to Brewers infielder/outfielder Brian Anderson.

Brian Anderson was hitting .321 in the month of July when he suffered a back injury on July 9th that put him on the injured list. By the time he returned on August 3rd, his hot streak before the injury was forgotten, and reinforcements had arrived from the Trade Deadline.

Anderson was activated a month ago, yet he's only appeared in eight of the 27 games since then and most of them were right away. He's only played in three games since August 8th, and just one game since August 16th against the Dodgers. Anderson hasn't played at all since August 22nd against the Twins.

With this extended period on the bench, why do the Brewers still have Brian Anderson on the roster and could he be removed from the roster soon?

Part of the reason why Brian Anderson hasn't played much is because Andruw Monasterio took over the starting third base job in Anderson's absence when he was on the IL. Craig Counsell is going with the hot hand and Monasterio has the job.

Also, at the Trade Deadline the Brewers acquired Mark Canha to address the outfield depth, eliminating the need at the other position Anderson played a ton of earlier in the season. The addition of Sal Frelick makes the outfield plenty deep without needing Anderson. Essentially, there's no spot for him to play.

Recently, the Brewers signed veteran third baseman Josh Donaldson to a minors contract but he could make his way to the big league club in short order, further eliminating the need for Brian Anderson on the roster. With just 28 active roster spots, there's virtually no chance that Anderson and Donaldson can co-exist on the same roster. Jesse Winker is also due to have a decision on his roster status soon, and if he comes back, it could mean Anderson's roster spot is gone.

If the Brewers were to put Anderson on waivers now, he wouldn't be eligible for the postseason with his new team, which could be a factor in keeping him around. At the time, the Brewers didn't know Josh Donaldson was going to be available to him and once they did sign him, it was too late to put Anderson on waivers in time for it.

Whatever the reasons are for keeping Anderson around, it's clear he's not a part of the Brewers present plans. He's not starting, even in a platoon setting, he's not a defensive sub, and he's not pinch hitting. What is he doing here?

Brian Anderson has turned into the forgotten man on the Brewers roster, and if that doesn't change, he may find himself off the roster entirely in the not too distant future.