Brewers Video
It has already become a disconcerting theme: a left-side Brewers' infielder is off to a woeful start, sparking uncomfortable conversations about that area of the roster in late April. Joey Ortiz's 35 wRC+ is the worst among qualified shortstops. Oliver Dunn fared even worse, prompting the Brewers to replace him with Caleb Durbin last week.
Dunn's former platoon partner is not as pressing a concern now that Durbin's arrival has relegated him to a strict bench role, but a conversation about his future has also become necessary. Vinny Capra is riding a 0-for-26 streak. With just three hits this year, the utility infielder currently sits on a -17 wRC+.
Capra said early in spring training that he focused on bat speed training over the offseason, but the specific regimen he divulged after making the Opening Day roster – building explosive rotational movement through mixed martial arts training – was more focused on his overall strength and mobility in the box. His goal was to hit the ball harder, but he didn't directly train bat speed.
That made the topic worth revisiting shortly into the regular season, when public swing tracking data from Statcast became available. Now, the results are in: Capra is not swinging harder. In fact, a couple of his five competitive big-league swings last year were faster than any he's taken in 2025.
The 28-year-old has not helped his cause in the field. It's far too small a sample to trust any defensive metrics, but Capra has looked shaky at times by the eye test. He's struggled to convert moderately difficult but expected plays at third base. On Thursday, he forwent a double-play opportunity to look the tying runner back at third, leaving the go-ahead runner on second to eventually score in a 6-5 loss.
Capra has just 44 plate appearances and occupies a limited role, but the Brewers have quickly moved on from unproductive out-of-options players in the past. They designated reliever Javy Guerra for assignment at this time two years ago, and Luke Voit only lasted 74 plate appearances with a 53 wRC+ the year prior. With Andrew Monasterio heating up in Triple-A, a move could be approaching.







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