Milwaukee Brewers: Should Abner Uribe be the 7th Inning Guy?

Since arriving in the big leagues, Milwaukee Brewers flame throwing prospect Abner Uribe has checked a lot of boxes. After a brief ease in period, manager Craig Counsell has started to use him in more high pressure situations.

Recently, Uribe recorded his first career save in extra innings against the White Sox. The 23-year-old prospect also has two holds on his resume as well. On the mound, his turbo sinker/slider combination has caught the attention of many and so far he has done a pretty good job at throwing strikes.

Despite a small sample size of just 12.1 big league innings and less than 100 minor league innings, Uribe is pleading his case to be utilized more consistently in high leverage spots. One spot that may be up for grabs is the seventh inning role that has been held by Elvis Peguero for most of the season.

Should Abner Uribe be the Milwaukee Brewers' seventh inning guy?

Even with a short track record of big league success, Uribe passes the eye test in what would qualify as a high leverage reliever. His repertoire is electric, he plays with passion, and despite having a bit of an emotional tag on him, so far we have not seen any signs of him losing his composure on the mound.

Another contributing factor that may allow Uribe to slide into the seventh inning role is the fact that Peguero has shown some subtle signs of wavering. Entering July, the power sinker pitcher had a 2.70 ERA. In the 18 appearances since then, all high leverage, his ERA has risen to 3.94. Of the six games that he has surrendered runs in during this stretch, four of them have resulted in crooked numbers on the scoreboard.

With how well Uribe has performed combined with Peguero struggling a bit as of late, the idea of switching out seventh inning set up guys is an interesting question that Counsell has to be pondering. At this point in the season, removing Peguero from that role could hinder his confidence and ability to get back while at the same time thrusting a rookie into that spot could be a bit risky.

The choice on whether a change should be made or not is a tough one. Either way, both Uribe and Peguero should continue to be utilized in close games as the Brewers continue their quest for the postseason and an NL Central division title.