MILWAUKEE -- David Stearns has learned to expect the unexpected, which is one reason the Brewers have prioritized depth during his first four years as general manager.

But Stearns could never have anticipated sitting in an empty Miller Park this week, wearing a mask with several rows of separation from his baseball operations lieutenants while Christian Yelich dug into the batter’s box during the team’s first two scrimmages of Summer Camp.

• Notes: 2021 schedule unveiled; Hader goes slow

“We always talk about, ‘We know crazy things are going to happen,’” Stearns said. “Generally, when we’re talking about that, we’re referring to injuries or underperformance or overperformance. Obviously, we had no idea we were going to be dealing with a pandemic and the type of disruptions we have encountered.

“With that said, I think the same principle applies: We have to be ready for the unexpected. We think our roster is built to deal with the unexpected, and that is certainly going to be tested over these 60 games.”

Here are three takeaways after Stearns virtually met the media Thursday for the first time since the start of Summer Camp:

1. Brewers add to player pool; Appleton camp to open
Milwaukee named additional players to its 60-man player pool on Thursday afternoon, nearly all of whom will report to the organization's alternate training site at Class A Wisconsin’s Fox Cities Stadium in Appleton, Wis. Not on the list was 2020 first-round Draft pick Garrett Mitchell, who signed with the Brewers on Wednesday night. But the additions did represent a mix of players with potential to help at the big league level this season and some top prospects who are more likely to use the experience for developmental purposes, including top overall prospect Brice Turang and top pitching prospect Ethan Small.

Here are the players joining previously optioned outfielder Tyrone Taylor there, bringing the Brewers’ pool to 58 players:

• LHP Clayton Andrews
• RHP Phil Bickford
• RHP Dylan File
• LHP Antoine Kelly
• LHP Angel Perdomo
• LHP Ethan Small
• RHP Trey Supak
• C Thomas Dillard
• C Mario Feliciano
• OF Tristen Lutz
• OF Corey Ray
• INF Brice Turang

Intake testing for that camp will begin next week, and players should be on the field several days later.

What about other Minor League players? That remains a work in progress. The Brewers’ facility in Phoenix is open only for players who require medical attention, and Stearns does not see that changing in the near future. Minor League players are free to explore opportunities with teams in independent league which are operating this summer, though as of Thursday, the GM had not been informed by any Brewers farmhands of a plan to do so. Mostly, Minor Leaguers are working on their own. Each was given a tailored workout plan by the organization.

2. Empty stadiums are ‘surreal’
“It was really weird to see Christian Yelich in the batter’s box in a Major League stadium in competition in an empty ballpark,” Stearns said. “It is something we’ll remember for a long time, I think. … In terms of the actual game and the way that the game played out, I think it looked like normal baseball.”

That’s a good thing -- mostly. One thing that stood out from the Brewers’ first two scrimmages is that players naturally congregate in the dugouts like any other game. All players are tested for COVID-19 every other day, so it is a mostly closed environment. But manager Craig Counsell has nonetheless stressed measures to prevent the spread of the virus.

“I do think we are emphasizing distance. Our players are certainly educated about it,” Stearns said. “I think like all of us, some people are going to be more attuned to it than others. We’ve seen that within baseball and outside of baseball, and we’re probably going to see that in our dugouts as well. But the social distancing, personal hygiene protocols that we have in place are certainly something that we’re going to continue to touch upon and educate our players with. As we get to the regular season, I think it’s something that we could probably adhere to to a little bit of a greater extent in our dugouts.”

3. So far, so good in terms of health and safety
“We've been fortunate that, by and large, things have gone smoothly for us and they've gone as planned,” Stearns said, crediting Brewers medical director Roger Caplinger, director of team travel Dan Larrea and the club’s coaches. “This has been a massive undertaking for Major League Baseball and the Players Association. They're working on the testing in a combined fashion. They are testing thousands of people and having to process thousands of tests a day. This is something that hasn't really been done before, and they've ramped it up extremely quickly. Some glitches at the front end were to be expected. We haven't really suffered them at all, and as you have seen, we've been able to run our camp pretty smoothly.”

That’s where Stearns’ focus lies at the moment, and he suggested he’s not alone. There is an Aug. 31 Trade Deadline this year (only players from each team's 60-man player pool may be dealt), and players acquired otherwise must be in a team’s organization by Sept. 15 to be eligible for postseason play.

• FAQ: Roster and transaction rules for 2020

To date, teams do not seem to be talking trades, Stearns said.

“I think everyone is so focused on their own operation right now -- the logistics of their own operation, keeping everyone safe -- that player movement discussions really aren't occurring in the industry,” he said. “That may pick up towards the end of [Summer Camp], but at this point, most teams' focus is really on the health and safety aspect of the operation. This is still very new and we need to make sure that we have that buttoned down.”