MILWAUKEE -- Left-hander Brent Suter was among the pitchers who faced hitters Tuesday on the fourth day of live batting practice at Miller Park. On Wednesday, players will get their first taste of game action as the Brewers stage the first of a series of controlled scrimmages meant to simulate certain moments in a game.

If it sounds like camp is moving fast, it is. Hitting coach Andy Haines figured it was no accident that hitters faced the Brewers’ best starting pitcher, Brandon Woodruff, and best reliever, Josh Hader, on Day 1 of formal workouts over the weekend.

• Crew adjusting to limited video room access

“We jumped into it on Day 1 because we have to,” said utility man Brock Holt. “We have to get in there, see pitching and try to get that timing back quicker than we normally would. I think they were both throwing mid- to upper 90s. Woodruff was throwing 98 [mph] and it looked like it was 198.”

Mitchell in Milwaukee
Brewers first-round Draft pick Garrett Mitchell was en route to Milwaukee on Tuesday after tentatively agreeing to terms with the club on a signing bonus. The deal was finalized Wednesday.

Mitchell, an outfielder from UCLA who has been playing with Type 1 Diabetes since he was a kid, agreed to sign for right around slot value for the 20th overall pick, according to a source. That figure was set at $3,242,900. The Brewers did not confirm the agreement, which is pending the results of a physical exam.

The Brewers have already confirmed signing their four other selections in the 2020 MLB Draft, which was shortened to five rounds this year.

Mitchell already has one fan in the organization in fellow Californian Keston Hiura, who was Milwaukee’s first-round pick in 2017 out of UC Irvine.

“I played against him, actually,” Hiura said. “West Coast kid, that definitely plays a big factor in it. With him, [2018 first-round pick Brice] Turang, myself, there's been a lot of players who have come out of California to the Brewers. You see [Ryan] Braun and Yeli [Christian Yelich] and some other players on our team with that California residency, so I think it's always cool to get a player from that area. Especially from a powerhouse like UCLA, which I played against all through college. I know what type of players they can produce. It was definitely exciting to have that addition to the organization.”

Holt on decision to play in 2020
Holt touched many fans last week with a heartfelt social media post dedicated to his family, including his pregnant wife, Lakyn, before departing for the Brewers’ Summer Camp. But the veteran utility man, who signed with Milwaukee in Spring Training, said he didn’t consider opting not to participate in 2020.

“I'm not in a position to opt out of a season. I feel like if I didn't play this year, my baseball career would be over,” Holt said. “If I didn't play, it would be hard for me to find a job next year. I signed a contract to play for the Brewers and the Brewers are playing baseball, so it was never a consideration. If I was in a different situation contractually, it's definitely something I would have considered with my wife being pregnant. If I had a contract with enough years or enough money to sit out a year, not play and not have to worry about not having a job next year, I think opting out [this] year would have been an easier decision considering the situation me and my family are in right now. We're going to play. Hopefully everybody stays healthy and we can get through this thing.”

Holt inked a one-year contract that includes a club option for 2021, and he expects to play all over the field for manager Craig Counsell, including at second base behind starter Hiura. He also could see time on the left side of the infield or in left field.

“I think what I've done my whole career is move around and play different spots,” Holt said. “I feel like that's how I'll be used. We haven't really talked about it. In spring I played a lot of shortstop because [Luis] Urías was injured, but he was coming back right before we got sent home and I think I was going to start moving around the infield and outfield and getting different reps at different spots. I've been moving around my whole career. It's something I enjoy doing. I'm fortunate I get to do it. I think that's the plan.”

Hiura helping small businesses
While baseball paused amid the coronavirus pandemic, Hiura used his social media platforms to sell clothing in Brewers colors with his autograph and initials, raising funds for restaurants and other small businesses impacted by the pandemic. Even with players back to baseball, that fundraising effort remains in progress.

“We raised over $2,500 and we're still getting it all finalized with Custom Made, who I was able to partner with to make that work,” Hiura said. “How it’s going to work is we’re going to pick out some restaurants and local businesses, buy gift cards from them, and then do a drawing for people who participated in it to do something for them in return. It went really well. I bought some T-shirts for myself, my family, and they’re really comfortable and really fun to wear. It was a great opportunity, a little way to give back. Who doesn’t like to wear shirts with Brewers colors on it? It was definitely a fun experience, and I’m hoping to do something more like that later down the road.”