PHOENIX -- The Brewers optioned outfielder Blake Perkins to Triple-A Nashville on Thursday and essentially set their position-player group for Opening Day.
The decision cleared a path to Opening Day for outfielder Brandon Lockridge, a right-handed hitter with great speed who went into Thursday’s game against the Rangers tied for the team lead with four home runs in the Cactus League. It comes at the expense of Perkins, a switch-hitter who has played in the Majors for Milwaukee in each of the past three years, and was a Gold Glove Award finalist in 2024.
“Those are very difficult meetings, very difficult decisions,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said. “But ‘Perk’ is part of this thing. You have to make some decisions to keep 13 [position players].”
The Brewers acquired Lockridge from the Padres at last year’s Trade Deadline for left-hander Nestor Cortes and Minor Leaguer Jorge Quintana.
“He was acquired for a reason,” Murphy said. “He played great for us down the stretch last year in so many ways, off the bench and a couple of starts here and there. His approach, his energy was just spectacular. … Sometimes it’s a matter of pulling out and looking at the big picture and considering a lot more than your best 13. It’s not just who’s played the best. There’s even a bigger picture: What’s best for the club right now? There’s a lot of factors that goes into it. That seems vague, but it really isn’t.”
Perkins was optioned to Nashville along with first baseman/left fielder Tyler Black, the Brewers’ spring leader in RBIs, and right-hander Logan Henderson, who is back on track after a recent bout of elbow soreness. The Brewers also returned shortstop prospect Cooper Pratt (MLB Pipeline’s No. 4 Brewers prospect, No. 64 overall) to Minor League camp.
Barring injuries or a last-minute outside move, that leaves 14 healthy position players in big league camp, or one more than the team will carry on Opening Day. That extra man was catcher Reese McGuire, a non-roster invitee who isn’t projected to make the team, but whom the Brewers would like to find a way to keep.
Those other position players are: Catchers William Contreras and Gary Sánchez, infielders Jake Bauers, David Hamilton, Joey Ortiz, Luis Rengifo, Brice Turang and Andrew Vaughn and outfielders Jackson Chourio, Sal Frelick, Lockridge, Garrett Mitchell and Christian Yelich.
The Brewers still have a couple of decisions to make on the pitching staff, some related to health. Henderson was 3-0 with a 1.78 ERA in five impressive big league starts last season before an elbow injury ended his season early, and he reported to camp as a candidate for the Opening Day roster. A bout of elbow soreness set him back recently, however, and the Brewers would like to see him pitch consistently at Triple-A for a stretch.
“Part of this move is to make sure he can go ‘post’ regularly,” Murphy said. “We’re not going to immediately build him up to five innings. We’re going to let him go two innings and see how he responds, two innings and see how he responds. Just make sure he’s responding each time. Because, he’s had a history.”