Milwaukee Brewers send Brett Phillips back to AAA to make room for Paolo Espino

When the Brewers called up outfielder Brett Phillips to take Travis Shaw’s roster spot while he was on paternity leave, the prevailing opinion was it was likely going to be a short stay for the team’s 10th-ranked prospect.

That turned out to be the case, as the team announced today they’re sending him back to Colorado Springs to make room for spot starter Paolo Espino.

Phillips was called up on Monday and made his major league debut that night, starting in centerfield. He collected his first career hit, going 1-for-3, and making a highlight reel throw to nail a runner at second base. Phillips didn’t get another start after that, but did appear as a defensive replacement the next night as part of a double switch.

While the short stint (and lack of use) is likely a little disappointing for Phillips, there’s a good chance he’ll be returning to Milwaukee at some point this year, whether it’s later this summer or in September.

Espino will be making his second career big league start this afternoon, and with Matt Garza only expected to miss one start, it seems like his stay could be a quick one, too. Espino struck out three and allowed two earned runs over 4 innings in his first career start against the Cubs in May.