Why Owen Miller and Chris Roller, Not Tyler Black, Got the Call From Nashville

[Jack Stern]

With their slugging first baseman sidelined for at least two weeks with a hamstring strain, the Brewers opted not to backfill the position with Tyler Black, but to recall a utility infielder and a glove-first outfielder.

Image courtesy of © Joe Puetz-USA TODAY Sports

The loss of Rhys Hoskins initiated some shuffling of the Brewers’ position-player mix. Hoskins strained his right hamstring on Monday night, and after he decided against seeking a second opinion, the club placed him on the injured list the following afternoon.

In response to losing their starting first baseman, the Brewers could have promoted another to replenish their depth at the position. Tyler Black has played almost exclusively first base in Triple-A Nashville and made all three of his starts in the field there during his recent big-league cup of coffee.

Instead, the team promoted Owen Miller, who has 162 games of professional experience at first but is not a clean replacement for Hoskins. The Brewers made another move the following day, optioning infielder Oliver Dunn. Once again, it was not Black who received a promotion, but outfielder Chris Roller.

It should be noted that Black was optioned on May 8 and had yet to spend the mandatory minimum of 10 days in the minor leagues before becoming eligible for a recall. Still, the Brewers could have promoted him as the corresponding call-up for Hoskins’s move to the IL, but they didn’t. Black could have played first, Jake Bauers could have remained in left field, and Miller could have been a corresponding move for Dunn.

The bottom line is, Milwaukee lost its slugging first baseman and responded by recalling a pair of bench players with minimal offensive impact instead of handing an opportunity to one of its top prospects. There are valid reasons for that, most of them concerning roster construction. Black is not as clean a fit on the current roster as one might initially assume.

Even with Hoskins sidelined, Black is not near the top of the first base depth chart. Bauers is the best left-handed option on both sides of the ball. Gary Sánchez may be Bauers’s platoon partner, as a means to work his bat into the lineup. He was doing pregame work at first base throughout the recent homestand, and Pat Murphy said he is “definitely a possibility” there. The more experienced Miller may also be ahead of Black, who has struggled defensively while transitioning from third base.

The Brewers appear to view Black mainly as a DH, and that position is already filled in the short term. In addition to Sánchez and William Contreras, Christian Yelich is receiving regular at-bats there as he builds strength in his return from a back injury. Yelich has alternated between DH and left field in his six games since returning, and figures to remain on that plan until the Brewers feel he is ready to handle full-time work in the field.

Yelich’s status arguably creates a greater need in the outfield than Hoskins’s does at first base. Enter Roller, a plus defender with experience at all three outfield positions.

While losing Hoskins opened a spot in the middle of the lineup, the Brewers already had hot-hitting replacements on hand in Bauers and Sánchez, plus the ascendant Joey Ortiz. The ripple effect that motivated the subsequent roster moves was on the bench. The glove-first Roller and versatile Miller are better fits for those roles than Black, so they joined the team. Meanwhile, Black will continue to receive everyday at-bats until a better big-league opportunity emerges.

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[Harold Hutchison]

Could the answer be to put Black in left field?

He's shown range, and his arm wouldn't be a massive issue there.

[harrydalton]

I agree with Clancyphile. Black has some CF experience in MILB. With his speed and presumed average arm he should be able to play LF, CF and even RF in an emergency. Too many 1B types now and in the near future for him to be relegated to 1B or DH.

[Bashopolis]

The other reason is to keep Black out of potential to be a Super 2 arbitration player.  That is still a thing and if Black mashed when he does come up than it could get expensive.