The Milwaukee Brewers have an eye for finding talent that other teams may have passed on, and first baseman Jake Bauers may be the best example of that philosophy in recent memory.
In a deal with the New York Yankees back in 2023, the Brewers acquired Bauers in exchange for two minor league outfielders. Bauers has steadily improved each season with Milwaukee up until his full breakout this year.
At 30 years old he has finally put it all together, posting a .272 batting average, .382 on-base percentage, .884 OPS, 23 home runs and 75 RBIs across 119 games. He has been the best hitter on the best team in baseball by record.
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Unfortunately, Bauers has been dealing with an injury setback. He was out of the lineup for a second straight game on Wednesday against the New York Mets. He had fouled a ball off his foot on Sunday, although he initially indicated he had moved past that issue.
Bauers even suited up for Tuesday’s game in Queens as a late substitute. When he spoke with reporters during pregame on Wednesday, he had an unfortunate update to share on his condition.
He revealed that he is dealing with shin splints and that although he will not need a stint on the 10-day injured list, it will impact his availability moving forward. The Brewers will have to manage him carefully and routinely get him off his feet for the rest of the season (h/t Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel).
Given how well Bauers has performed this year, taking him out of the lineup frequently is going to be a meaningful loss as Milwaukee continues its push to secure a top-two seed in the National League and home-field advantage heading into the postseason.
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