Brewers call up No. 1 prospect Brinson
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PHOENIX -- Wait until next year has become right now for the Brewers, who recalled outfield prospect Lewis Brinson from Triple-A Colorado Springs on Saturday.
Brinson is their No. 1 prospect (and No. 13 overall), according to MLBPipeline.com.
The move comes a day after Milwaukee recalled pitcher Josh Hader , MLB's top left-handed pitching prospect, along with outfielder Brett Phillips, the Brewers' No. 10 prospect.
Brinson replaced injured second baseman Jonathan Villar, who was placed on the 10-day disabled list with a strained lower back. Brinson was on the Brewers' active roster and arrived in the middle of Saturday night's 3-2 loss to the D-backs at Chase Field.
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"It's a great time to be a Brewers fan," said Phillips, who started in center Saturday and batted seventh for the second consecutive night. "They're saying, 'Let's go. Let's go ahead and win the World Series.' Why not? You see on Twitter all the fans are excited about this transition. We're a first-place team right now. We're here to win. We're not messing around."
The Brewers entered Saturday's game with a 33-29 record and a surprising 2 1/2-game lead in the National League Central over the defending World Series-champion Cubs. They're one of only five NL teams with a winning record; the Nationals, D-backs, Rockies and Dodgers are the others.
Brinson, 23, was hitting .312/.397/.503 with six home runs in 45 games at Colorado Springs. In nine games this month, he slashed .342/.405/.579. A first-round pick in the 2012 Draft by the Rangers, he was acquired by Milwaukee in the trade that sent Jonathan Lucroy and Jeremy Jeffress to Texas last season.
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Brewers manager Craig Counsell said there would be plenty of chances to integrate Brinson into the lineup in the coming days.
"I mean, he's a member of the position-player unit and we'll get him there," Counsell said. "We've had some injuries and a couple guys out, but we'll find a spot for him. We have a bunch of games in a row after the off-day and a doubleheader [in St. Louis] on Tuesday, so there will be spots for him to play."
Fantasy spin | Fred Zinkie (@FredZinkieMLB)
Brinson made a strong impression on the Brewers' organization after being acquired in last summer's Jonathan Lucroy trade, hitting .382 with four homers and four steals in 93 plate appearances for Triple-A Colorado Springs in 2016. Off to another strong start in Triple-A (.312/.397/.503), Brinson has the skills to be a five-category contributor if he garners a regular role. Even those in shallow formats can consider adding the 23-year-old on a trial basis.