The unlikely hero carrying the Brewers through a tough stretch

The Milwaukee Brewers are nearing the end of one of their most difficult stretches of the season. With a thin roster, a fatigued bullpen, and the Dog Days of August in full swing, the Brewers were asked to play 19 games in 18 days. Not only that, but the worst team they played or are set to play during that stretch was the 67-69 Arizona Diamondbacks.

To make matters worse, with Jackson Chourio and Rhys Hoskins already on the IL, the Brewers lost their everyday shortstop, Joey Ortiz, to a hamstring injury halfway through their grueling stretch of games without an off day. Despite not having the best season at the plate, Ortiz's glove was going to be difficult to replace, as he's become one of the best defensive shortstops in MLB this season (Ortiz is fifth in all of baseball at the shortstop position with 10 Outs Above Average).

The Brewers were forced to turn to fan favorite Andruw Monasterio to man the shortstop position during Ortiz's hopefully brief stint on the IL. Despite Mona showing flashes of effectiveness throughout his career, his .184/.259/.286 slash line entering the month of August and the downgrade from Ortiz defensively, suggested that the Brewers were in for a tough stretch without their everyday shortstop.

However, Mona has proved the doubters wrong and then some with his recent play. In fact, capped off by a shutout-ending solo shot in the 6th inning of last night's win over the Toronto Blue Jays, Monasterio's recent play has been an integral part to the Brewers staying afloat during their recent tough stretch.

Andruw Monasterio's seamless replacement of Joey Ortiz has been huge during the Brewers' recent stretch of games without an off-day

Much has been made about Brice Turang's incredible month of August, and rightfully so. The Brewers' talented second baseman has nine homers and an OPS of 1.120 during the month, and is squarely in the NL Player of the Month conversation. However, Turang's current middle infield partner, Monasterio, has posted a higher OPS during the month of August. Over the last month, Monasterio holds a 1.156 OPS with 10 extra base hits. He's collected nearly as many RBI (10) as strikeouts (11), and slugged three of his four 2025 homers in August.

Currently riding an eight-game hitting streak, Monasterio has been the perfect fill-in for Ortiz, during a time when the Brewers needed it most. What could have easily turned into a devastating blow during a crucial stretch in the season has become a success story for one of the Brewers' unsung heroes of the 2025 season.

When Ortiz does return, which is expected to be soon after his minimum 10-day stint on the IL has elapsed, it may be difficult for the Brewers to find playing time for Monasterio. However, if Mona continues to play how he has over the past month, Pat Murphy may have no choice but to put his name in the lineup on a regular basis. It's possible that the Brewers elect to give Mona a few at-bats at the beginning of the game and then replace him with Ortiz in the later innings for the defensive improvement. That said, Mona has made a few impressive plays with his glove in Ortiz's stead.

Regardless of how much playing time he receives once Ortiz returns, what Monasterio has done for this team over the last two weeks has been nothing short of necessary. Yes, the Brewers have a losing record in the stretch that they've been without their everyday shortstop, but that record would be a lot worse if it weren't for the impressive play of Andruw Monasterio.