Notes: Taylor's stock rising; Bickford DFA'd

MILWAUKEE -- Tyrone Taylor was preparing to start an offseason job at FedEx in the fall of 2019 when the Brewers made him a surprise September callup.

Has any hitter in the organization altered his career trajectory more dramatically since then?

Taylor has been a big bat for a team that went into Wednesday’s series finale against the Marlins with two outfielders -- Christian Yelich (back) and Lorenzo Cain (right quad) -- on the 10-day injured list and two others -- Avisaíl García (one single and 14 strikeouts in his last 30 plate appearances) and Jackie Bradley Jr. (three singles in his last 32 plate appearances) -- fighting through dry spells at the plate. Taylor entered the day 9-for-19 with a pair of home runs this season and has done everything the Brewers have asked him to do, including going 3-for-4 with a homer and three RBIs on Tuesday in his first Major League start in the leadoff hole.

“Since day one he's in the J.P Feyereisen category,” said Brewers manager Craig Counsell, referring to the reliever who similarly was offered an opportunity and seized it. “Another guy who had a fabulous offseason, got stronger, more explosive, and it's showing up, for sure.

“And the other thing with Tyrone is it's been a process. He's been at the cusp for a little while here, he's been up and down quite a few times, but he's always taken the message in the right way and continued to understand he's got to get a little bit better and improve and find ways to improve. When you keep doing that for a talented guy like Tyrone, this is what starts to show up on a regular basis after some maturity and some experience and some age and getting more opportunities.”

Taylor is one of the longest-tenured players in the Brewers organization, a second-round Draft pick out of Torrance [Calif.] High School in 2012. He was one of MLB Pipeline’s Top Brewers prospects for several years, but slipped down the list as perhaps a case of prospect fatigue, since Taylor always posted decent production in the Minor Leagues. His stock rose with back-to-back seasons Triple-A seasons with an OPS in the neighborhood of .800 in '18 and ’19 before getting his first chance in the Majors.

“To be able to contribute to the team the way that I have recently feels nice, and hopefully I just keep it going,” Taylor said. “Especially to be able to contribute in a game where we win like [Tuesday], it’s cool.”

It’s unclear what lies ahead for players like Taylor and Billy McKinney, who have filled-in ably while Yelich and Cain have been down. Cain is expected back from the IL sometime next week on the Brewers’ road trip, if not sooner. Yelich resumed hitting in the cage on Tuesday and was expected to do the same Wednesday as he tries to shake a bout of back stiffness.

At some point soon, Taylor and McKinney may revert to more of a reserve role.

“The thing about Tyrone is he unfailingly approaches every situation -- not just in baseball, but I think he does this in life -- the right way,” Counsell said. “He approaches it with a great attitude. You can't throw him off track. That's a great way to end up successful.”

Bickford DFA’d, Ray sent down
The Brewers had to make a pair of corresponding roster moves in order to select Zack Godley’s contract prior to the right-hander’s start against the Marlins on Wednesday. The club optioned Corey Ray back to the alternate training site for the second time in three days and designated right-hander Phil Bickford to clear a spot on the 40-man roster.

The Brewers had high hopes for Bickford, the former first-round Draft pick of San Francisco who came to Milwaukee as the centerpiece of a July 2016 swap with the Giants for left-handed reliever Will Smith, at a time when relievers were generating significant returns in trades. Bickford was subsequently suspended in the Minors for marijuana, then broke his hand, then struggled for a time with dramatically decreased velocity before turning his career back in the right direction during the second half of '19.

But in callups each of the past two seasons, Bickford was unable to deliver. He needed 38 pitches for one inning against the Marlins on Monday and was charged with two runs on two hits including a Corey Dickerson home run, a walk and a hit batsman. Last year, Bickford made his Major League debut in September against the Tigers and was charged with four runs on four hits and two hit batsmen in a 33-pitch inning.

The Brewers hope to keep Bickford in the organization, but he would have to clear waivers.

Last call
-- Brett Anderson, whose right leg injury necessitated Wednesday’s call for Godley to start, resumed playing catch on Tuesday for the first time since exiting his start against the Cubs on Friday. That’s progress, but it’s fair to say he will miss more than one turn through the rotation, Counsell said.

-- Counsell declined to say whether the Brewers considered Wisconsin native Jordan Zimmermann as a candidate to start Wednesday, saying only, “We decided on Zack Godley.” Zimmermann also is with the Brewers on a Minor League deal and has been pitching at the alternate training site.