MILWAUKEE -- "I think my favorite Wade Miley story," Brewers ace Corbin Burnes said on the eve of Opening Day, "is when Stephen Vogt saved his life a couple of years ago."

That was certainly not the expected response when Burnes was asked about the return of veteran left-hander Miley, who pitched for the Brewers during the second half of 2018 and is back after signing a free agent contract last winter. He's expected to bring a veteran presence to the back end of the Brewers' stout starting rotation, and perhaps some levity to the clubhouse. Miley is known for that.

What wasn't known, at least publicly, was that in returning to American Family Field, he's returning to the site of the scariest moment of his life.

"I went in a little hot on a hamburger," Miley said.

It was Aug. 20, 2018. The Brewers had just returned home to face the Reds. Miley had pitched two days earlier in St. Louis, so there was no reason he couldn't enjoy a pregame hamburger.

Suddenly, he began to choke.

"I took two quick bites and it hung up," Miley said. "I ran in the hallway and looked around, and I couldn’t breathe. I looked around and there was nobody. I was like, 'Do I go to the training room? It was maybe 40 yards. Or do I go back into the kitchen.'"

In Miley's telling, he chose the kitchen. Teammates used to seeing Miley mess around thought he was joking when he gestured that he was choking.

Vogt remembers it a little differently. In his telling, Miley never left the room. He took the bite of burger and tried to wash it down with Gatorade. When the liquid spilled right back out of Miley's mouth, Vogt knew he was in trouble.

Either way, Vogt, the veteran catcher who’d given the Brewers a power jolt in 2017 but was down with a right shoulder injury in ’18, sprung into action. He grabbed Miley around the stomach hard, then hit him on the back several times for good measure.

“He gave me the Heimlich, and I’m here to tell about it,” Miley said. “He’s a lifesaver.”

"I just went into dad mode," said Vogt, a father of three.

It worked. Miley took a big breath and announced he was OK.

"I just remember that feeling of, 'Oh my goodness, that was really scary,'" Vogt said. "Thankfully, he was fine after that. I just remember that feeling of adrenaline and panic and relief. It took me a while to recapture my breath."

The next day, Miley brought Vogt several bags of Lifesaver candies and a set of medical scrubs. They had a good laugh.

In the moment, however, it was terrifying. Miley said he has a throat issue that means he must chew his food carefully. Ever since then, he said, “I chew until it doesn’t taste good.”

That scare wasn’t on Miley’s mind on Wednesday during the Brewers’ optional workout until Burnes brought it up. Miley calls Milwaukee one of his favorite stops in a career that has taken him to eight different teams.

“I love it here,” he said. “As soon as I got on the interstate, I could see the stadium. It’s just a cool place to play. Some of the funnest baseball I was part of was right here.”

“Wade’s awesome,” Burnes said. “I think his last year here was ‘18, and it seems like he never left, probably because we saw him across the field so much the last five years [with the Reds and Cubs]. Wade is obviously that veteran presence to the rotation. He’s going to come in, he’s going to work hard. I think more than anything, he’s a great sounding board for some of the young guys we have coming up.”

Thankfully, he had a teammate at his side when he needed one most. Vogt was happy to lend a hand.

"He's one of my favorite teammates I've had," Vogt said. "He takes the ball and posts every time. He's a good time, he cares about the people around him and treats people well. He's a good one."