WASHINGTON -- Craig Counsell didn’t mince words: The Brewers are going to need the Lorenzo Cain that thrived atop their lineup last season in order to replicate a fraction of success they had in 2018.

“Look, Lorenzo is a vitally important player for us,” Counsell said before the Brewers' 2-1 loss to the Nationals on Friday, which saw Cain go 2-for-4 with a walk from the leadoff spot. “He’s going to play a big factor in this going down the stretch, and we need him. That’s the bottom line. We’ll do everything we can to get him on track, and I’m confident we will get him on track.”

Cain has not lived up to the blazing pace he set in 2018. In the 23 games since an injection for his ailing thumb kept him sidelined three games in late June, Cain slashed .255/.327/.404 -- numbers well below his ’18 season while still providing hope that a turnaround could come.

But in the next 16 games, entering Friday's game in Washington, those numbers were .204/.290/.278.

“He is a little frustrated,” Counsell said of Cain, who had two hits in his last 17 at-bats before Friday. “I think the frustration gets made worse when he’s had a lot of men-on-base at-bats. I think it always gets a little worse when you’re in those situations.”

Cain, for his part, agreed.

“Yeah, there's a lot of frustration,” he said after the Brewers’ 6-5 win over the Twins on Wednesday. “I haven't been playing great at all this year. I feel good out there [physically], but I have nothing to show for it. I've just been struggling. It doesn't even feel the same in the box right now. I'm trying to figure something out, because I'm playing some bad baseball right now. I need to find a way to correct it and get it right because this team needs me to get going. It takes a lot of pressure off everybody else once I get going. Something has to change. I need to keep working, keep grinding, keep swinging and hopefully, the outcomes get a little better as we go along.”

Zooming out, the more telling indicators for Counsell across Cain’s season as a whole comes via the walk rate. Cain’s 8-percent mark at that stat is far lower than the 11.8 he touted in 2018. So is his walks-to-strikeout rate of .471, which was a career high .755 in ’18.

“I don’t think we ever thought it was going to be like that again,” Counsell said. “He’s not getting on base at the clip he was last year, and when you’re leading off, that’s a big deal.”

Also mudding the conversation is the recent emergence of Trent Grisham, who has played well since making his first start on Aug. 1. The rookie has been deployed mostly in left field, but he could be an option in center should Counsell and his staff elect to give Cain a few games off to reset.

“I haven't had a conversation [about sitting], but [Trent] is playing great right now, and for me, it's all about winning games,” Cain said. “I need to do my part, swing the bat better, get on base and drive in some runs. I haven't had a conversation with Craig, but the best man should be out there, and that hasn't been me lately. We'll see what happens. Hopefully, things change on the road trip, and if not, we'll see what happens and go from there. Hopefully, I can get it going.”

Davies set for Monday return

After no negative news from Zach Davies’ bullpen session Wednesday, the Brewers plan to return him to the starting rotation on Monday against the Cardinals, ending his two-week stint on the injured list with back stiffness.

Counsell said the decision for Monday, as opposed to Tuesday, was made in part to give Gio Gonzalez, who will get the ball the second game of the series, an extra day of rest.

“Giving him an extra day this time, with his season, made the most sense,” Counsell said of the lefty.

Austin signed to Minor League deal

Milwaukee announced the signing of first baseman/outfielder Tyler Austin to a Minor League contract on Friday. The 27-year-old right-handed hitter will report to Triple-A San Antonio and could become a bench piece when rosters expand in September.

Austin, who played in his fourth big league season this year, has been designated for assignment this year by both the Twins and Giants, for whom he hit .187/.283/.403 with 18 walks and 60 strikeouts in 152 plate appearances this year. Across his 192-game career, those numbers sit at .220/.288/.451 with 208 strikeouts and 48 walks.

Also in San Antonio is Jung Ho Kang, who is working out with the Missions but has not signed a contract. Kang was DFA’d by the Pirates on Aug. 2 and released two days later. Joe Alexander, an independent journalist in San Antonio, has pictures of Kang working out with the Missions.