The Milwaukee Brewers are shifting Brice Turang from second base to shortstop for Tuesday's game against the San Diego Padres as the club is managing a chunk of infield injuries.
Turang was moved over to short after Cooper Pratt landed on the 10-day injured list Sunday with a strained right hamstring, which occurred during Saturday's win over the Minnesota Twins. Pratt still believed he could play, but an MRI ended that hope, and the Brewers opted to be cautious.
The timing stings for both Milwaukee and Pratt, as the 21-year-old infielder was hitting .302 with one home run and nine RBIs in his previous 14 games before being shut down due to the injury. Pratt made his major league debut on June 16 and has settled in as Milwaukee's everyday shortstop since.
The bad news continued as third baseman Joey Ortiz exited Saturday's game with an upper back issue, leading to a day-to-day designation. Andrew Vaughn started at third base, his first time doing so since 2021.
To fill the gaps, manager Pat Murphy has had to be creative with the lineup, and Milwaukee's front office has made moves as well. The club signed Jihwan Bae to a minor league contract and added him to the active roster, moving David Hamilton to third and sliding Bae into second base behind Turang, a 2024 NL Platinum Glove winner.
For Tuesday's game, Turang is at short, Bae at second and Hamilton at third against the Padres.
Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
There's no timetable yet for either Pratt or Ortiz, but the Brewers own the best record in baseball and can afford to adjust the lineup a bit as they finish a stretch on the West Coast, including a stop at Petco Park and Dodger Stadium to face off against the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers.
