DENVER -- The Brewers began a critical West road trip on Friday by activating catcher Stephen Vogt from the disabled list, and another big addition is only days away.
The team still plans to activate right-hander Chase Anderson from the DL to start Sunday's series finale against the Rockies.
"We feel like we're upgrading the roster," Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. "We have two guys in Stephen and Chase, even though Stephen wasn't around for a long time, that we counted on."
Anderson was the Brewers' most effective starting pitcher for the first three months of the season, going 6-2 with a 2.89 ERA in 90 1/3 innings before straining a left oblique in Cincinnati on June 28. The injury occurred just as Vogt, a two-time All-Star for the A's acquired off waivers, was bringing some left-handed pop to the bottom half of the Brewers' batting order.
Vogt hit four home runs in 28 Brewers at-bats before suffering a left knee injury in a home-plate collision on July 17 at Pittsburgh. The injury forced his first career trip to the Major League DL.
"I'm ready to go. I feel like it's Christmas morning to me," Vogt said Friday.
Vogt didn't start Friday's 8-4 loss to the Rockies, but he came off the bench in the eighth inning to hit a pinch-hit double.
Vogt will resume a timeshare with regular catcher Manny Pina. To make room for Vogt on the roster, the Brewers placed their other catcher, Andrew Susac, on the 10-day DL with a right trapezius strain, the same injury that knocked him out of the team's catching competition in Spring Training.
Vogt was active just in time for the start of the Brewers' important trip.
"Getting Chase back this weekend is going to be a big boost, as well," Vogt said. "We're playing well, guys did a great job this past weekend at home and I'm excited to be joining it now. Every game's crucial from here on out, and especially on this road trip."
Seeing red
Yes, there is a story behind the red batting gloves Brewers third baseman Travis Shaw has sported over the past week.
"It started off as a joke to make somebody mad," said Shaw with a smile.
That somebody was Brewers equipment manager Jason Shawger, a stickler for detail, who had fought off Shaw's attempts to wear the gloves from Shaw's Red Sox days after he homered in them on July 4. On that day, with the Brewers in red, white and blue uniforms, they matched. Once the team returned to wearing its usual blues, they clashed.

But when the Brewers wore black and white throwback uniforms for a Negro Leagues tribute on Saturday, Shaw saw an opportunity. So he wore them again, and homered again.
After that, clashing color or not, the baseball gods had spoken. When he went deep in them again on Wednesday against the Pirates and cleared a gauntlet of high-fiving teammates, Shaw went straight for the television camera at the end of the dugout and held up the gloves.

That was for Shawger.
"They're doing well, so I don't care [if they clash]. I'm going with them," Shaw said.
Last call
• The Brewers placed 2017 first-round Draft pick Keston Hiura on Class A Wisconsin's disabled list with what the club is characterizing as a mild left hamstring strain. The timing was tough; Hiura spent the summer limited to designated hitter duty because of a preexisting right elbow injury, and finally got into a game at second base on Wednesday. Now he finds himself back in the training room.