CINCINNATI -- It’s getting downright dangerous to play for the Brewers. In the last 10 days, a Milwaukee player has left a game after being drilled in the head by a foul ball (Willy Adames), after having his knee sliced open to the underlying structures in a collision with the tarp (Darin Ruf) and after being inadvertently punched in the head on a pickoff attempt (Andruw Monasterio).

But the Brewers reported that Monasterio’s early exit in Sunday’s 5-1 win over the Reds -- a game he helped win by belting his first Major League home run, a three-run shot in the first inning at Great American Ball Park -- was merely for precautionary reasons.

Asked how he was feeling after that hit, Monasterio offered a snappy reply.

“Which one?” he said.

The 26-year-old Venezuelan played parts of nine seasons in the Minor Leagues before getting his shot with the Brewers this past homestand as manager Craig Counsell’s club attempts to navigate a heavier than usual dose of injuries. And Monasterio has delivered, with solid defense at shortstop and second base, plus seven hits in his first 17 big league at-bats, including Sunday’s 400-foot home run off Reds starter Ben Lively.

Monasterio was manning second in the bottom of the third inning when Brewers starter Adrian Houser -- on his way to completing seven innings for the first time since 2021 -- wheeled around and fired a pickoff attempt. Monasterio applied a tag to Reds runner Will Benson but found his face on the business end of Benson’s right fist.

“I’m glad I feel pretty good now,” Monasterio said after the game. “I was pretty dizzy at the moment. That’s why I could not stay in the game. But right now, I feel better. A little headache [behind] my eyes, but I feel pretty good.”

Benson initially didn’t realize what had happened to his 2021 Double-A teammate in Cleveland's system.

“I was trying to get back and did a little swim move,” Benson said. “I didn’t honestly realize I hit him in the face until after the fact.”

Initially, Benson was called out, but the Reds won a challenge as Brewers medical officials checked on Monasterio. He finished the inning at second but was replaced by pinch-hitter Mike Brosseau leading off the fourth.

The Brewers can ill afford to lose any more players. They have 14 men on the injured list at the moment, and every position player on the 40-man roster is either active in the Majors or on the IL.

Reinforcements are coming, however. Adames walked, doubled and homered as the designated hitter for High-A Wisconsin on Sunday in his first game since being struck by a foul ball while leaning against the dugout rail on April 26. He didn’t suffer any fractures, but he entered MLB’s concussion protocol, and Adames will have to remain symptom-free as he advances to Triple-A Nashville on Tuesday before potentially rejoining the Brewers on Thursday.

And the Brewers expect to have infielder Luis Urías back for the first time since he injured his right hamstring on Opening Day when they start a weeklong homestand on Tuesday against the Orioles.

“We say the word ‘depth’ every day, but there’s limits to that,” Counsell said. “The players have done a really good job of picking it up.”

Monasterio is a prime example.

“I’m just seeing this like a game, having fun, like I’ve been saying to you guys,” Monasterio said. “I’m enjoying every moment.”

“What he’s done offensively has been just impressive, really,” Counsell said. “It’s not soft contact, it’s not just throwing hits in there. It’s been very hard-hit balls. I didn’t know he had a home run to center field in him, honestly. That’s a good blast. That was impressive.”

“He’s stepped in, and he’s playing great,” Houser said. “He’s putting great ABs out there and hitting the ball hard and making some great plays, too. We couldn’t ask any more out of him.”

Monasterio and Victor Caratini both went deep to back Houser, who bounced back from allowing 11 hits and seven runs (six earned) last time out in Toronto. He threw sinkers for 65 of his 92 pitches, scattering six Reds hits with no walks while including a pair of inning-ending double plays and 11 ground-ball outs overall.

“Oh, that’s fun,” Monasterio said. “You have to be active because that’s a guy where you’re going to get a lot of ground balls. … It’s fun to play around those guys.”