Brewers starter Josh Lindblom will have family on his mind when he takes the mound next.

Lindblom returned from a stint on the bereavement list to pitch 5 1/3 innings of three-hit, one-run ball in the Brewers' sweep-clinching win over the Royals on Sunday at Miller Park. Afterward, he revealed the cause of his brief absence: Lindblom’s wife, Aurielle, had a medical emergency that will require a procedure this week while Lindblom is on the road with the team, awaiting his next scheduled start in one of the Brewers’ doubleheader games against the Cardinals on Friday.

“It was a hard week, but my focus was good,” Lindblom said. “The one thing that I’ll say is that there’s people that are going through difficult times. There’s people that are struggling every single day. And to go out there and to play for 3 1/2 hours, that’s a mental break for me from everything else that’s going on. I’m thankful for my teammates and coaches and the organization for their support.”

Asked whether there was a chance he would have had to remain in Milwaukee instead of leaving for the regular season’s final road trip, Lindblom said, “With the way the hospitals are and COVID, I can’t go in the hospital, I can’t sit in the waiting room. I’d have to sit in the car. So, we’ve got a great support staff at home with my family and her family that’ll be there for her. It’s something that we’ve talked about. I’ll stay with the team.”

Lindblom has been terrific for the team in his last two starts -- 10 1/3 innings, six hits, one run -- after rejoining the rotation from a stint in the bullpen during a period in which off-days negated the need for a fifth starter. That came after he went 1-3 with a 6.46 ERA in his first seven starts.

The difference has been in the walk column. Lindblom walked at least one batter in each of his first seven starts, but he has not issued a walk in either of the last two.

Progress for Piña
Catcher Manny Piña could be cleared for baseball activities next week as he recovers from surgery for a torn meniscus in his right knee. He’s right on schedule; when Piña was diagnosed with the injury on Aug. 28, the Brewers predicted about a four-week rehab.

“Should we make the playoffs, then the baseball thing is going to start to happen,” Brewers manager Craig Counsell said.

Backup catcher Jacob Nottingham has done solid work in Piña’s absence, especially on defense. But should the Brewers advance in the playoffs, could Piña be an option for them at some point?

“I mean, he’s progressing towards that, but I couldn’t give you a series where I expect him to be ready,” Counsell said. “I don’t think we have an answer for that yet. We’re definitely not ruling it out though, I’d say.”

Vogelbach getting looks at first base
When they acquired Daniel Vogelbach off waivers from the Blue Jays on Sept. 3, the Brewers were interested in the bat, not necessarily the first baseman. But Vogelbach found himself playing defense for the first time on Sunday because Milwaukee wanted his bat in the lineup against a right-handed pitcher (Kansas City’s Brad Keller) and the designated hitter position went to Ryan Braun, who has been battling a bad back. The same alignment was utilized for Monday’s series opener in Cincinnati against Reds righty Luis Castillo.

“I don’t mind playing first at all,” Vogelbach said. “I played a lot of it last year. Whatever I can do to help the team win, whether it be DH or playing first, I’m willing to do it.”

Vogelbach has one more pre-arbitration season remaining, then he will be eligible for the process after the 2021 season. Whether he fits Milwaukee’s plans moving forward could hinge on two factors: One, will the DH rule remain in the National League beyond 2020? And two, can he regularly play first base?

Besides his impact at the plate, Vogelbach also has been a presence in the clubhouse, players say, adopting the “positivity train” mantra of the past several weeks.

“He’s kind of like a younger version of [bench coach Pat Murphy]. He’s good for some levity,” left-hander Brett Anderson said. “He’s loud but in a positive way. He’s ‘choo-chooing’ all over the place, being the conductor of the positivity train. He’s brought a shot of energy to us, for sure.”