Notes: Taylor Williams returns to Brewers bullpen after DL stint
CHICAGO - The Milwaukee Brewers filled out their bullpen before Tuesday's series opener against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field by reinstating right-hander Taylor Williams from the disabled list.
It was the fourth personnel move by the Brewers in two days and brought the team back to a seven-man bullpen with an off-day upcoming Thursday. On Monday, outfielder Keon Broxton was recalled from Class AAA Colorado Springs, while right-handers Jacob Barnes and Aaron Wilkerson were sent back there.
It was a near-minimum stay on the 10-day DL for Williams, who'd gone on Aug. 4 with a sore right elbow.
"In the 10 days he found out it was just fatigue. He was a little tired," manager Craig Counsell said. "He responded very quickly to feeling really good so we’re happy to have him back. We brought Keon here as a function of the off-days to just have an extra position player while we can."
Williams entered Tuesday with a 0-3 record, 4.22 earned run average and WHIP of 1.43. He'd also struck out 49 in 42 2/3 innings. He had his ERA as low as 2.13 in mid-June, but a series of rough outings from mid-July on led to his trip to the DL.
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After undergoing Tommy John surgery and missing all of 2015 and '16 recovering, the 27-year-old is in the midst of his first full major-league season.
"It's just part of the season," Williams said of his DL stint. "I came off surgery last year and it was my first year back, so the workload I'm building up to, we're trying to not go too far over that as well, be as fresh as possible for the end of the season.
"All these games coming up are important. Feeling good is the biggest thing."
Counsell acknowledged the grind is one Williams is going through for the first time.
"There’s no question I think that’s part of it," he said. "He missed two seasons, had a very structured season last year where just getting health under your belt was the most important thing. This year it’s no restrictions and to make it 7½ months of that is difficult.
"We gave him a break and hopefully this gets him to the finish line in good shape."
As for Broxton, he returns to the Brewers having hit .189 with three doubles, a home run and two runs batted in over 10 games since rejoining the Sky Sox.
He said he played mostly center field in his most recent stint in the minor leagues, but with the Brewers any playing time likely will come in one of the corner spots.
Building back in the bullpen: The Brewers are in a tough position in the bullpen with two veterans, Joakim Soria and Matt Albers, on the DL and former closer Corey Knebel struggling to the point that Counsell is no longer using him in high-leverage situations.
"I think getting Corey on track is probably the bigger equation in this," Counsell said. "That kind of normalizes the bullpen. So that’s important. It’s important that we get him going."
The Brewers would have had extra coverage in the latter innings of games with Soria, a former longtime closer. But Counsell said his right-groin strain is serious enough that he isn't on track to be reinstated on or around the 10-day mark of Aug. 20.
"We’re not going to be at 10 days, I’ll tell you that," he said. "That’s probably the best I can give you right now. We’re not on the field. We’ve got to get on the field. We’re not on the treadmill yet. We’re still on the bike."
As for Albers, he's slated to start a multi-appearance rehab stint Tuesday night at Class AA Biloxi.
Brewers acquire right-hander: After the game, the Brewers announced they'd traded cash considerations to the Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for right-hander Jake Thompson.
Thompson was then optioned to Colorado Springs. To make room for him on the 40-man roster, right-hander Alec Asher was designated for assignment.
A 2012 second-round draft pick of the Detroit Tigers, the 24-year-old Thompson was 1-0 with a 4.96 ERA and 14 strikeouts in 16 1/3 innings for the Phillies this season. All nine of his appearances have been out of the bullpen.
Of his previous 21 major-league appearances over the 2016-'17 seasons, Thompson made 18 starts. He's 7-8 with a 4.87 ERA in 30 career outings, all with Philadelphia.
Thompson had been designated for assignment after the Phillies traded for first baseman Justin Bour.
It's the third time Thompson has been traded, and in something of a funny twist he and Knebel were the two pieces the Tigers traded to the Texas Rangers for Soria in 2014. Now all three are part of the Brewers organization.