With Joey Wiemer and Aaron Ashby to the minors, here's our final Brewers roster prediction
PHOENIX – The clubhouse is getting emptier.
The Milwaukee Brewers whittled the number of players left in major-league camp to 29 healthy players Friday with opening day less than one week away.
Manager Pat Murphy informed Joey Wiemer, Aaron Ashby and Christian Arroyo they would not be making the team to open the season. That leaves just three more decisions to make before March 28 against the New York Mets at Citi Field.
Joey Wiemer ultimately loses out on final outfield spot
Wiemer had a slow start to spring at the plate after overhauling the majority of his pre-swing movement. Wiemer showed up this year eschewing nearly all his excess movement in the upper half and instead going with a simple load with his hands already positioned lower.
He was 4 for his first 25 at the plate before coming along later on with hard contact, but ultimately batted just .235 with a .297 on-base percentage and no extra-base hits in Cactus League play.
Wiemer now will get everyday playing time with Class AAA Nashville to open the season.
There likely could have been room to sneak him through on the opening day roster as the fifth outfielder, but the combination of Blake Perkins’ steady, elite defense and a desire to get Wiemer regular at-bats led to the Brewers’ decision.
Aaron Ashby will open the year in Nashville as a starter
Joining Wiemer in Nashville will be Ashby, who missed all of last season with a shoulder injury and has yet to look fully back to his old form.
The final spots in the Milwaukee bullpen were big questions this camp and are still to be determined, but Murphy indicated earlier that the team was really only looking at Ashby as a starter during spring. Perhaps down the road this season the bullpen will be a consideration, but the left-hander will start games in Class AAA.
Outside of a few rehab outings late last season while returning from his shoulder surgery, this will be Ashby’s first time in the minor leagues since August 2021. The 25-year-old then signed a five year, $20.5 million extension in July 2022.
Here is our projection for the final 26-man roster, including the prediction that pitchers J.B. Bukauskas and Bryan Hudson will be optioned to Nashville and catcher Eric Haase will be designated for assignment.
Pitchers (13)
Starters
Other starting options/relief length
Bullpen
Catchers (2)
Infielders (6)
Outfielders (5)
Injured list
Optioned to Class AAA
Bryan Hudson
JB Bukauskas
Designated for assignment
Eric Haase
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Final Brewers roster prediction after Wiemer, Ashby, Arroyo moves
