The Milwaukee Brewers may have to reach into Triple-A after David Hamilton left early Monday with left hamstring tightness against the St. Louis Cardinals. Pat Murphy said after the game that hamstrings usually take time, and he expected this one to do the same.
That is why Greg Jones is coming up now, because the Brewers suddenly have an infield opening and a name waiting for it. Jett Williams, 22, is the obvious option on hand in Triple-A, even though he has not yet made his big league debut.
The timing matters because Hamilton was not eased out of a game for caution alone. The Brewers were still able to beat the St. Louis Cardinals on Monday, but the injury changes the way the club has to look at the infield in the days ahead. Williams, acquired from the New York Mets in the Freddy Peralta deal along with Brandon Sproat during the past offseason, has been discussed all season as left-side infield help.
His numbers make the case. In Triple-A, Williams was hitting.236/.344/.389 with a.732 OPS, along with nine homers, 41 RBIs, 21 stolen bases, nine doubles, five triples and 60 runs scored in 79 games. He is the No. 5 prospect in the system, but the better measure is simpler: he is close enough to be the most obvious answer if the Brewers decide they need one.
There is still a wrinkle. The Brewers are not empty at the position, only thinner than they would like. Cooper Pratt is already in the majors at shortstop, and Joey Ortiz has been getting time at third base after moving off shortstop for Pratt. That gives Milwaukee some cover, but not much margin if Hamilton is out for any length of time.
Murphy’s words point to the same conclusion. A hamstring issue rarely clears fast, and the club is already set up to consider reinforcement. Whether that turns into a promotion for Williams is still the open question, but the path for him has rarely looked cleaner than it does now.
