Special delivery: Taylor gets call from Brewers

MILWAUKEE -- On the day after his eighth Minor League season ended this week, Tyrone Taylor interviewed with FedEx in Phoenix for a package handling job, thinking he'd make a little extra money in the offseason. And it went pretty well, said Taylor, who went home to California to visit family while he waited for a call.

Taylor got a different job offer instead. One that paid a little better.

The Brewers promoted the outfielder to the big leagues on Saturday for insurance against a growing injury list. Left fielder Ryan Braun left Friday's win over the Cubs with back spasms. Lorenzo Cain was out of the lineup Saturday to give his aching left knee a rest. Taylor made his Major League debut as a pinch-hitter in Milwaukee's 3-2 victory Saturday night, reaching base after he was hit by a pitch from Steve Cishek in the seventh inning. Taylor figures to see more action.

"I was stoked," the 25-year-old said. "I mean, the normal way to get called up is with all the boys in the clubhouse. I think that's awesome, too. You can call your parents after. But to be home with my parents, that was pretty cool."

What if FedEx calls?

"I haven't heard back yet, so I don't know if it went as well as I thought it did," he said. "Maybe I'll hear back from them soon. I'll have some explaining to do, for sure."

Taylor was the Brewers' second-round Draft pick in 2012 and ranked as high as No. 26 on MLB Pipeline's list of the top Brewers prospects, and even cracked Baseball America's Top 100 in 2015. But he stalled a bit while spending three straight seasons at the Double-A level from 2015-17, including an injury-shortened '17 season before a 20-homer showing at Triple-A Colorado Springs in '18 put him back on the map. This year at Triple-A San Antonio, he hit .269 with 14 homers and a .342 on-base percentage that represented his best mark in a full season.

"Not unlike Trent Grisham's [story], really," Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. "[Taylor] had a couple down seasons, but he kept going and fought back. ... When we looked at September, he was definitely in the conversation [for a callup]. There just wasn't going to be any playing time at all. With the injuries now and the depth on our bench right now, it feels like there is a need, frankly."

Taylor will try to make the most of it.

"Being on the 40-man [roster] this year, I didn't shut it down all the way, because I've seen in the past people get called up after not getting called up right away," Taylor said. "[The season] was a mental grind a little bit, whether it was me dealing with off-field stuff, or just trying to be a perfectionist with my swing. Baseball is all mental, and you have to deal with it. I was able to pull it together at the end, and I'm thankful."

Last call
• Third baseman Mike Moustakas remained absent from the lineup because of a bruised left hand and wrist, but he was on the field Saturday afternoon for some defensive work. He is making progress toward a return to action, Counsell said.

• Catcher Manny Pina, who suffered a minor concussion on a foul tip on Thursday, reported improvement but will not play against the Cubs this weekend, Counsell said.

• Counsell and Cubs manager Joe Maddon took the field to catch emotional ceremonial first pitches from a Brewers fan who received a life-saving heart transplant last year, and the family of the donor, a Cubs fan. Tom Schroeder, the Brewers fan, met the family of his donor, 32-year-old Joshua Holland, for the first time on Saturday afternoon. Holland's niece, Jerzie Wilkerson, represented her uncle on the mound.

"They're so much alike," Wilkerson said. "I think he's someone my uncle would have said, 'That's someone I would like to have my heart.' He was always thinking about other people."

• Robb Edwards, the voice of County Stadium and Miller Park since the late 1990s, will perform public-address duties for the last time on Sunday, when the Brewers finish their season series against the Cubs. The Brewers will rename the scoreboard control room to honor Edwards, who has shared the job this season with another longtime Milwaukee radio personality, Mark Richards.