LOS ANGELES -- Unable to see a role for rehabbing Rule 5 Draft pick Zack Jones in their big league bullpen, the Brewers on Sunday returned to the right-hander to the Twins.
Jones, a hard-thrower, was derailed in his bid to make Milwaukee's roster by a Spring Training shoulder injury. He was only about 10 days into a 30-day Minor League rehabilitation assignment when Brewers officials made the decision to send him back to Minnesota.
It dropped the Brewers to 0-for-2 in Rule 5 Draft picks this year. Last month, they returned infielder Colin Walsh to the A's.
"Rule 5 situations, a lot has to go right for it to work out," manager Craig Counsell said. "We just reached the point this year where it wasn't going to work out. There's too many obstacles for it to work out.
"Time. The other guys in the bullpen. Where Zack is at in his development curve. Lots of factors. It just didn't work out."
Jones and Walsh would have had to log 90 days on the Brewers' Major League roster in order to remain Milwaukee property, or be offered back to their original organizations for half the original $50,000 fee.
"Rule 5 picks, they're not slam dunks," Counsell said. "We tried on a couple of guys; it didn't work out. It wasn't a big opportunity cost."