SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- The reigning National League Rookie of the Year Award winner spent the winter shuttling all over St. Louis for workouts and rehab as he recovered from a shoulder injury. Now, Devin Williams is itching to get back in a game.

Williams is still a couple of weeks away from appearing in the Cactus League. It’s part of a rehab plan put in place to help him return to form from an injury -- Williams said that it was a strained right rotator cuff – that cost him a chance to pitch against the Dodgers in the NL Wild Card Series. The Brewers believe that they can hold Williams out of games until after the team’s March 17 off-day and still have him ready to pair with Josh Hader should they be needed to close out the Twins on Opening Day, April 1.

So far, Williams has three bullpen sessions under his belt.

“Getting close,” Williams said Friday morning. “Everything’s been going according to plan.”

Brewers manager Craig Counsell echoed that, saying, “Everything is good,” and, “We just have to keep going on this path.”

Having a healthy and effective Williams is critical to the Brewers' pitching-and-defense approach to contending in the NL Central in 2021. His numbers in last year’s shortened regular season were eye-popping. He pitched 27 innings in 22 games and allowed one earned run. He faced 100 batters and struck out 53. He threw 227 changeups and two of them were hits, both singles.

When the Brewers snuck into the postseason for the third straight year despite a losing record, their best chance was to pitch their way past the mighty Dodgers. Injuries got in the way. Starters Corbin Burnes (oblique) and Brett Anderson (blister) went down. So did Williams, who developed shoulder discomfort during the Brewers’ final regular-season series in St. Louis.

To this day, he cannot pinpoint when it happened.

“Once it was over, it’s over,” Williams said. “But having to sit there for those few days and knowing I wouldn’t be able to contribute in any way, that was pretty tough. I felt like I did a lot to help us get to that point last year, and to not be able to help in the postseason when it really counts, that just kind of gave me some more motivation for this year.

“I just have to continue to build off of what I did last year. But at the same time, what I did last year is last year. So I can’t rest on that. I want to put together another good year this year, help us make a run to the postseason and see where we’re at, at the end.”

Urías exits early

Brewers infielder Luis Urías exited Friday’s game against the Rockies with left hamstring discomfort after appearing hobbled on a groundout to end the top of the third inning. The Brewers called the move precautionary and Counsell said that he expected to know a lot more Saturday about the severity of the issue.

Urías drew a visit from members of Milwaukee’s athletic training staff and walked off under his own power, but he did not return to shortstop in the middle of the inning. Instead, Pablo Reyes took over at third and Orlando Arcia slid over to short.

The Brewers are evaluating Urías at shortstop this spring after being denied that opportunity at this time last year, when he was recovering from a broken hand that he sustained in winter ball. Arcia has started at shortstop for the Brewers on Opening Day for four years running, but he could see time at third base and in the outfield this year if Urías is able to claim the position.

“We've got no decisions there. We're six games into this,” Counsell said Friday morning. “We're taking a look at Luis at shortstop and we're taking a look at Orlando at third base. That was the goal of Spring Training. We're going to continue to do that. I don't expect necessarily a decision on that any time soon.”

Numbers game

As of Friday, Jackie Bradley Jr.’s reported two-year deal with the Brewers was still pending a physical exam. But we know what uniform number he will wear.

No. 41.

The source was Bradley himself, who shared that information in a Twitter exchange with @ReviewingTheBrew on Friday. Bradley wore No. 19 with the Red Sox in recent seasons, but that’s retired in Milwaukee for Hall of Famer Robin Yount. So Bradley added the birthdates of himself (April 19), his wife Erin and his three children. It added up to 41.

It’s unclear when Bradley’s deal will be official. Players must quarantine for several days following intake testing as part of MLB’s health and safety protocols in 2021.

Last call

• Outfield contender Derek Fisher made copious loud contact in his first two at-bats against the Rockies, first a flyout that left his bat at 105.6 mph per Statcast, then a three-run home run in the fourth that left his bat at 110.2 mph. Brewers team photographer Scott Paulus captured a sun-splashed celebration in the dugout.

• Speaking of loud contact, Garrett Mitchell, the team's No. 1 prospect per MLB Pipeline, continued to provide it with a 104.5 mph RBI single to center field against the Rockies. Through that at-bat, last year’s first-round Draft pick was 3-for-5 with a pair of RBIs. And catching prospects Payton Henry and Nick Kahle each homered in the ninth inning.

• Burnes picked up five more strikeouts in two innings of work against the Rockies on Friday, giving him seven strikeouts in his first three Cactus League innings. That’s impressive considering Burnes has yet to throw a single slider, the pitch that induced his most swings and whiffs in 2020 (60.3 percent, per Statcast) of any of his offerings. Burnes said that he is focusing on his curveball and changeup first, and might not throw sliders for a few more outings.

• Josh Hader got his first “game” action of the spring Friday in a simulated game at American Family Fields of Phoenix. His Cactus League debut is scheduled for Wednesday at the A’s.

• Counsell reported no ill effects from Brandon Woodruff’s mound work Thursday, which marked a return to action for Woodruff after missing a few days with a stiff back. Woodruff is slotted to make his first Cactus League start Monday against the Angels.