Andruw Monasterio is the Brewers' Shortstop Right Now. How Long Could 'Right Now' Last?

With the injury to Joey Ortiz, you might think Milwaukee is in a bad spot at shortstop. The suggestion to have Cooper Pratt (eventually) come up from Double-A Biloxi to take over has emerged here, and it’s a tempting possibility. It's highly unlikely that the Crew will start the service clock (or even make premature 40-man roster moves) with a top prospect, though, when Ortiz's backup has stepped in so admirably thus far.

The hamstring injury to Ortiz led to Andruw Monasterio getting some serious playing time, this time at shortstop. Monasterio could end up a cult hero for the Crew again, just as he did in 2023, en route to becoming Brewer Fanatic’s top rookie for that season—despite having been a minor-league free agent scooped off the scrap heap of affiliated professional ball, in his mid-20s.

Monasterio’s offensive profile has been about making solid contact, generally avoiding strikeouts, and proving some solid OBP skills when he’s in the lineup. In 2024, he didn’t get a lot of playing time. Ortiz locked down third base, Brice Turang was winning a Gold Glove (and Platinum Glove) at second base, and Willy Adames played shortstop as close to every day as he could. Monasterio had 125 at-bats the entire season, coming in sporadic bunches when the team hit a pocket of the schedule heavy on left-handed opposing starters. He never got into a groove.

Monasterio’s profile has held up in 2025, though, as he's adjusted to that sparing usage and been consistently ready when called upon. He has a very stout .272/.322/.457 line, albeit in just 81 at-bats, for an OPS+ of 116. That’s a big upgrade from Ortiz’s overall production in 2025 (.233/.284/.328, for a 72 OPS+). In fact, Monasterio’s already matched his 2023 home run total (three) in less than 30% of the at-bats—in essence, providing some secondary power for the Crew at the bottom of the order.

In fact, a comparable offensive figure is none other than rookie Isaac Collins, who’s posted a .273/.370/.425 line, good for a 124 OPS+. Like Monasterio, Collins was unheralded as a prospect, although he was acquired via the minor-league Rule 5 draft. Blake Perkins completes the trifecta of minor-league leftovers-turned-solid producers, and Monasterio's superior power this year (relative to 2024) matches the trend for Perkins.

Collins and Monasterio would, at their current production, be formidable at the bottom of the order for the Brewers. They're valuable lineup extenders with some sneaky pop, and they'll fit especially well when Jackson Chourio returns from his Triple-A rehab stint. The Brewers have almost no choice but to ride Monasterio at short until Ortiz gets healthy, but since the elder statesman of the team's bench has proved to be a hot hand, that feels more like a promise than a threat right now.

Monasterio is helping the team score runs, including some clutch heroics (like his pinch-hit three-run homer against the Reds, which helped the team take its 14th straight win). Ortiz’s struggles in the early part of the season gave way to an uninspiring but steady profile that worked fine at the bottom of the order from late May on, but Monasterio has matched or exceeded the level that Ortiz settled at even after turning the corner.

This isn’t to say Ortiz isn't more valuable than Monasterio. His defense has helped prevent a lot of runs. As he recovers from this injury, though, the team will have to evaluate both his ability to get back into form at the plate and the viability of his great fielding. If the compressed timeline of the remaining season doesn't leave him time to fully recover, he might not be the defender he usually is. In that case, Monasterio might deserve more playing time even once the incumbent starter returns.

If Ortiz is unable to return to play this year, and if Monasterio performs well down the stretch and into October, a new set of highly intriguing questions arises. Could Milwaukee consider trading Ortiz, with four more years of team control remaining, this winter? Could Monasterio be a good enough stopgap while Pratt, Jesus Made and Luis Pena surge toward the majors to justify cashing in Ortiz for what would be some serious trade value? It's a backburner thought, for now, but with so much uncertainty around Ortiz's injury and its unfortunate timing, it does make a certain amount of sense.

The story of the 2025 Brewers has been players stepping up. Monasterio’s just the latest in this trend, but for him, it’s something he’s done before.