Brewers Spring Baseball

Brewers infielder Luis Urias reported to Milwaukee's alternate training facility in Appleton on Saturday after shedding the virus that led to a positive COVID-19 test and left him quarantined.

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Luis Urias' long wait is nearing an end.

The young infielder reported to the Milwaukee Brewers' alternate training facility in Appleton Saturday, having finally shed the virus that led to a positive COVID-19 test and left him quarantined while the rest of his teammates took part in the Brewers' summer camp.

“He’s full go now. It’s just a matter of really just getting into baseball shape, getting live at-bats and going at a good pace," manager Craig Counsell said Saturday morning ahead of the Brewers' meeting with the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. "The other guys all got three weeks. I think he can be at a place where he’s maybe a little bit quicker, but it’s going to take some time.

"He was able to be somewhat active but obviously not what these guys have been doing on a regular basis. He’s just got to get back in the swing of things. He’s fully healthy. He’s been healthy. So he’s ready to go. We’ll just get him going as much as we can.”

Urias' three weeks of isolation marked another frustrating setback for a player expected to challenge for a starting job when acquired in a trade from San Diego last November.

Instead of battling Orlando Arcia for the job in spring training, Urias instead spent most of camp recovering from a hamate bone fracture suffered during winter league play. Urias was on the verge of finally seeing Cactus League action when baseball suspended operations due to the pandemic.

The three-month shutdown provided plenty of time for Urias to recover fully but instead of showcasing his abilities on the field, he spent nearly a month confined to his apartment.

"It's been a tough couple weeks for him," Brewers president of baseball operations David Stearns said. "But I do believe he will play for us this year."

Left-hander Angel Perdomo also tested positive for the virus and remains under quarantine, while left-hander Eric Lauer — acquired with Urias in the trade with San Diego — has been throwing in Appleton after reporting to camp late due to exposure to someone who had tested positive.

Welcome back

Right-handed relievers Corey Knebel and Bobby Wahl saw their first action in over a year Friday in the Brewers' season-opening loss to the Cubs.

Knebel missed all of last season after undergoing Tommy John surgery while Wahl spent the year on the shelf after tearing his right ACL during a spring training appearance.

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Wahl got on the mound first, throwing just one pitch to close out the sixth inning. It was his first appearance in a major league game since Aug. 16, 2018. Knebel followed with a scoreless seventh in his first outing since Game 7 of the 2018 NL Championship Series.

"For Corey, it's one of those 'that's over with' moments for him," Counsell said. '"He can say I got back out there, I did my thing, I'm back' and now it starts to become business as usual for him."

Knebel was in the final stages of the rehab process when spring training began and was expected to begin the regular season on a minor league rehab assignment. The shutdown helped buy him some time to get back to full physical strength, though it did keep him from seeing much live hitting.

"I think most doctors will tell you that once he’s on the mound pitching, the injury is healed," Counsell said. "The time just kind of changed what he’s doing, as far as minor league rehab or just doing it with us at our summer camp."

The Hader Plan

With Knebel back in the fold, Counsell now has more flexibility in how he uses reliever Josh Hader.

The left-hander recorded 37 saves after sliding into the closer's role in Knebel's absence last season after serving as more of a multi-inning fireman role in 2018.

Counsell eschews the use of traditional labels like starter and closer, choosing instead to focus on flexibility and versatility. He plans to do the same with Hader this year.

"We want Josh to pitch in the big spots," Counsell said. "We want to be cautious about how we use him, but he’s going to get the big spots, and it’s always challenging to find that because he’s still our best reliever, he’s our best guy down there.

"So we’re trying to find the biggest spots to use him in. They’ll tend to be towards the end of the game. I think that’s fair to say, especially at the start here. Then as we go, if something changes and if we find out we have multiple guys who can handle these big, big spots, which is ideal, then I think it could change a little bit."


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This article originally ran on madison.com.

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