Brewers recall Peterson to fill in for Braun

ST. LOUIS -- Tyler Cravy did everything in his power to impress the Brewers during a seven-inning Major League debut on Tuesday night, but circumstances dictated a Wednesday morning return to Triple-A Colorado Springs.

With Ryan Braun off to California for another procedure on his thumb, and no extra outfielders on the roster, the Brewers optioned Cravy back to the Minors and recalled Shane Peterson, who started in left field for Wednesday's series finale against the Cardinals.

"It was predetermined, really," Milwaukee manager Craig Counsell said. "It's tough, but on the other hand, the fact that [Cravy] pitched so well is encouraging, because you know you've got someone you feel good going to. It was a great experience for him and gives him a ton of confidence moving forward."

Peterson, claimed off waivers by the Brewers last offseason, batted .320 with seven home runs and 27 RBIs in 47 games at Colorado Springs prior to his promotion. He figures to start at least through the weekend in Minnesota, with Braun likely to return as the designated hitter for at least one of those three games against the Twins.

Video: CIN@MIL: Peterson drills a two-run home run to center

Peterson was a second-round Draft pick by the Cardinals in 2008, started two games for the A's in '13 and had not been back in the big leagues since. He was one of two newcomers in the Brewers' lineup Wednesday, along with second baseman Hernan Perez.

"Obviously, you come up here, you want to play," Peterson said. "There's not a lot of times you get to do that."

With the outfield temporarily settled, the Brewers moved on to discussing their next roster move. They will need a fifth starter again by Tuesday in Pittsburgh, and Counsell indicated it's likely to be another Minor League callup.

"We've taken two names out of the hat already," Counsell said, referring to Cravy and Tyler Wagner, each of whom came up to make a Major League debut. "We haven't decided on the name, but I've said you guys can figure it out, and I think you probably can this time."

Options at Triple-A Colorado Springs include Taylor Jungmann and Tyler Thornburg, each of whom is already on the 40-man roster. If it's Jungmann, he would be the third Brewers pitching prospect up for his Major League debut in the span of 10 days.

"We're going to find out about more players this year, there's no question," Counsell said. "These are guys we need to learn about."