MILWAUKEE BREWERS

Notes: Getting healthy is top priority for Brewers catcher Jacob Nottingham

Todd Rosiak, and Tom Haudricourt
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Catcher Jacob Nottingham hit .234 with 11 homers and 37 RBI over 112 games for Class AA Biloxi in 2016.

PHOENIX - With Jett Bandy, Manny Piña and Andrew Susac battling for two spots on the Milwaukee Brewers' opening-day roster, playing time for any other catcher was already at a premium coming into camp this spring.

An injury eliminated prospect Jacob Nottingham from consideration before he could strap on his gear for even a single inning. The 21-year-old has been dealing with what manager Craig Counsell termed a shoulder impingement, and Nottingham was limited to just three at-bats as a designated hitter before being reassigned to minor-league camp Wednesday.

Nottingham is viewed as the Brewers' catcher of the future but wasn't expected to compete for a roster spot this spring, his second in major-league camp. Still, it was a frustrating three weeks for him.

"I haven't been able to show anything," Nottingham said. "I've just got to deal with it and get healthy."

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Nottingham was one of the pleasant early stories in camp last spring for the Brewers. Acquired from the Oakland A's with minor-league pitcher Bubba Derby in exchange for outfielder Khris Davis, Nottingham hit .364 with an OPS of 1.235 in 11 at-bats but really turned heads with his prodigious power.

He broke his own car window with a batting-practice home run early in camp, a moment that went viral after Nottingham tweeted a selfie of himself next to the shattered glass. Then he capped his time with the Brewers by bashing a walk-off homer to beat the Angels.

Nottingham spent the entire 2016 season at Class AA Biloxi, where he was among the youngest players in the Southern League. He hit .234 with 11 homers and 37 RBI over 112 games. In 2015, he hit a combined .316 with 17 homers and 82 RBI between three different teams and two levels in the Houston and Oakland systems.

With the Shuckers, Nottingham struck out 138 times while compiling a .295 on-base percentage and an OPS of .641.

"I hit some homers, which is good, but the biggest thing is cutting down on strikeouts," he said. "Sticking to a plan and making more solid contact instead of trying to do too much. I think that's kind of what I got into a little bit, trying to pull the ball, which isn't my strength.

"The biggest thing this year is trying to stay up the middle and drive the ball into the gaps."

Part of Nottingham's offensive struggles might be explained by the challenge of being an everyday catcher while playing at an advanced minor-league level. He caught a career-high 831 1/3 innings, allowing 21 passed balls and throwing out 29% of would-be base stealers (22 of 75) while also learning a new pitching staff and refining his developing game-calling skills.

"I think that's why I felt like I had a pretty good year," Nottingham said. "Coming into camp last year, I really wasn't a polished catcher. I'm still not. But I feel like I took a really big step and made a big improvement to show that I can catch.

"I'm just going to try to keep going and show that I can be a catcher — an everyday catcher."

At 6-foot-2 and 230 pounds, Nottingham cuts an imposing figure behind the plate. But his size also has led to questions about whether he'll be able to remain at catcher rather than shifting to first base.

The Brewers have remained steady in their belief Nottingham will be able to stick at the position.

"I am big," he said. "But I work a lot on my flexibility. I stretch a lot so I feel like I can get just as low as other catchers. That was a big reason I came out here early, to work on my flexibility."

Nottingham is likely to open 2017 back in Biloxi. The Brewers, meanwhile, are down to five catchers in camp with Bandy, Piña, Susac, René Garcia and Dustin Houle.

In addition to Nottingham, the Brewers sent out three other players as pitcher Adrian Houser was optioned to minor-league camp and outfielder Corey Ray and pitcher Yhonathan Barrios were reassigned to minor-league camp. Houser (elbow), Ray (knee) and Barrios (shoulder) are all recovering from surgeries and unable to play.

Being a mentor: Players who leave themselves open for verbal sparring have learned this spring that Joba Chamberlain rarely lets an opportunity slip away. The veteran reliever can lay down withering fire, forcing teammates to retreat hastily.

It is all in good fun, and part of the give-and-take of clubhouse camaraderie. But Chamberlain also knows how to look out for younger players, and he did so Tuesday by taking a group of relievers and catchers for dinner at a local steakhouse, where he picked up the tab.

“That was fun,” Chamberlain said. “You try to pass down things that were passed down to you.

“If you get the opportunity to play this game long enough and people look up to you and ask you things, that is the greatest respect you can get in this game.”

As a non-roster player in his first Brewers camp, Chamberlain quickly discovered there was a veteran leadership void on the team and willingly stepped into it. When he was a young, high-profile prospect with the New York Yankees, he said veterans did the same for him.

“I’ve been fortunate to play this game a long time. I want these younger kids to understand it’s not that easy,” he said. “You have to work at it.

“This is a young group. But these guys can win. We have to get them to believe that. That’s the hardest part. There is a lot of talent in this room, and it’s only going to get better. But we have to get them to believe in themselves.”

There also is the business of Chamberlain trying to make the team. As a non-roster player, he has to show enough to prompt the decision-makers to add him to the 40-man roster. Through four spring outings, he has a 2.25 ERA, with four hits, three walks, one run and two strikeouts in four innings.

“Everything is going well. My slider has come along. Early, we were working on mechanical stuff, but it has been good. Obviously, you’re trying to get better every day. Other than that, it’s just attacking the (strike) zone.

“What are you going to see that you haven’t seen? At the same time, I still have to come in and bust my butt, and do the things to not only make myself better but make this team better.”