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The Milwaukee Brewers announced some roster moves before the start of last night’s ballgame, clearing room on the roster for a new trade acquisition. Infielder Eduardo Escobar was officially activated, taking the spot of Keston Hiura on the active roster. To clear space on the 40-man roster, reliever Patrick Weigel was designated for assignment.
INF Eduardo Escobar added to the active roster. INF Keston Hiura optioned to Triple-A Nashville. RHP Patrick Weigel designated for assignment. pic.twitter.com/VnKCMfnYNa
— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) July 30, 2021
Escobar was the big bat that Milwaukee added before the trade deadline. He had been hitting .246/.300/.478 with 22 home runs in 405 plate appearances for the Diamondbacks (109 OPS+) before coming to the Brewers in exchange for Cooper Hummel and Alberto Ciprian. His first start for the Cream City Nine came at the hot corner, and he went 1-for-3 with two walks and a home run during his team debut.
Hiura was supposed to be the team’s everyday first baseman this season after transitioning over from second base, but he has not been able to contribute with the bat or the glove this season. He’s seen his playing time largely evaporate of late, with just eight plate appearance since the All-Star break ended. Overall, Keston is hitting .166/.257/.302 in 193 plate appearances this year, with a 39.4% strikeout rate. He’ll be able to play more regularly and hopefully get back on track in Triple-A, where he’s hit .403/.506/.722 in 89 plate appearances. An extended period down in the minors, perhaps for the rest of the season, might be the best course of action for the former top prospect. Hopefully he can be prepared to contribute in 2022.
Patrick Weigel joined the org back in April, one of two pitchers who came to the Brewers in the Orlando Arcia trade with Atlanta. He has appeared in three big league games for Milwaukee, allowing two runs in 4.0 innings with four walks and nine strikeouts. For Triple-A Nashville, Weigel has pitched to a 6.84 ERA with 32 strikeouts and 25 walks in 25.0 innings pitched. He had been ranked as Milwaukee’s #17 prospect by MLB Pipeline prior to the DFA.
Statistics courtesy of Baseball-Reference