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Brewers planning few September callups

MILWAUKEE -- With so many of their young prospects already in the Major Leagues, the Brewers were planning Saturday for an extremely short list of September callups.

Only one addition is expected Sunday, when active rosters expand from 25 to 40. It will probably be Donovan Hand, the right-handed reliever who posted a 3.75 ERA in 21 Brewers appearances this season, including seven starts. A starter, right-hander Johnny Hellweg, will be called up soon after, but will not join the starting rotation until the Brewers clear their off-days on Sept. 5 and 9.

Club officials have also debated promotion for right-hander Jimmy Nelson, MLB.com's top Brewers prospect. He will have to be added to the 40-man roster after the season, anyway.

But asked whether the Brewers need any extra position players or a third catcher, manager Ron Roenicke said, "not really."

"I'm having a hard time playing [backup catcher Martin Maldonado] enough," Roenicke said. "Maldy, I know he's had a rough year offensively this year, and I'm trying to play him, and I can't get him enough at-bats to get him going."

Roenicke stressed that the plan could change. If the team does add a bat, a leading contender would be first baseman/outfielder Sean Halton, who has appeared in 24 games with Milwaukee this year.

Generally speaking, Roenicke does not favor promoting a player from the Minors for September only to have him ride the bench.

"I think there's sometimes a reward, that you'd like to bring a guy up for what he's done in the Minor Leagues," Roenicke said. "And then the other guys, when you bring them up, you want to bring them up for the purpose of using them to further their development. If you can get a guy 3-4 starts, and you're thinking in the future, this guy has a chance to be a starter, I really think that helps him.

"But a regular, if you get him up here and he gets four at-bats for the month, I don't see how that helps you out."

Adam McCalvy is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his blog, Brew Beat, and follow him on Twitter at @AdamMcCalvy.
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