Notes: Villar will go on minor-league rehab soon but Sogard has staked claim in lineup

Second baseman Jonathan Villar, who is eligible to come off the disabled list Tuesday, has made such progress with his lower back strain that he won’t miss many more days.

The Brewers expect Villar to be ready for a minor-league rehabilitation assignment this week, and he confirmed Monday he is ready to go play.

“I feel good,” Villar said after taking part in early batting practice and doing some running in the outfield. “I feel 100%. We are talking about going to the minor leagues for a couple of days, maybe three games and then coming back.”

Villar strained his back making an incredible diving play in shallow right field in Arizona on June 9. He was taken off the field on a cart but has made steady improvement while on the DL.

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Asked how long Villar might spend in the minors, manager Craig Counsell said, “He hasn’t missed a huge amount of time. It shouldn’t be a lengthy (rehab).”

The big question is: What happens with Villar when he returns? Eric Sogard has staked a claim on regular playing time at second as well as the leadoff spot – jobs Villar was expected to fill after a strong 2016 season. Sogard entered Monday batting .351 in 31 games with a remarkable .457 OBP and .993 OPS.

Villar, on the other hand, is batting .213 in 59 games with a .283 OBP and .625 OPS.

“We have a tough situation,” Counsell admitted. “Sogard is playing extremely well. It’s not 30 at-bats anymore (Sogard had 116 plate appearances). We’re a ways into it and Eric Sogard continues to play at a really high level and get on base at a really incredible pace.

“He’s been a productive offensive and defensive player. He’s playing at a really high level. I think there's space for us to give (Villar) some playing time. But we're looking for the players who are helping us win games.”

General manager David Stearns said the Brewers would be a better team if they can get both Sogard and Villar playing well, then worry about parsing out playing time.

“Jonathan Villar was a huge part of this team last year,” Stearns said. “He had a really impressive year. He has had periods this year when we’ve seen some of that and, obviously, periods when he has struggled.

“We’d love to be able to get him back where he was, so he’s going to continue to get opportunities. But Eric has made himself into a really meaningful part of our lineup. I think Craig has the ability to balance that and give both of those guys a chance to contribute to our team.”

Hiura signing close: The Brewers are expected to announce any day they have signed first-round draft pick Keston Hiura, a second baseman from UC Irvine. The Brewers like to get their first-round picks to Milwaukee while the team is in town so they can work out and meet local media.

Asked if there’s a chance Hiura will be at Miller Park before the Brewers leave town, Stearns smiled and said, “There’s a chance. He’s very well spoken, really enjoys baseball and I think is eager to get his pro career started.”

The signing bonus assigned to the No. 9 pick is $4.57 million but Hiura might come in below that figure because he did not play in the field all season due to an elbow injury. The Brewers will determine after Hiura is examined by team doctors whether surgery is needed to get him back at second base.

“When we get to the point when he’s officially a Brewer, we’ll be able to discuss that more completely,” Stearns said.

Feliz released: The Brewers officially released reliever Neftali Feliz, who they designated for assignment last week. Stearns said some teams showed interest but Feliz’s $5.35 million salary prevented a deal from being reached. He now is free to sign with every team and the Brewers must pay all of his contract except the pro-rated minimum of $535,000.

“You never know. We waited through the period to see if we could work something out with another club, and we were not able to do it,” Stearns said. “We had a level of interest but when you’re dealing with a player with money left (on his contract), sometimes that can stand in the way.”

Asked if he expected Feliz to sign with another club, Stearns said, “I would imagine so. You never know for sure but I would imagine he’d get another chance.”