Brewers Close To Receiving Power Boost Amid Torrid Hot Streak

The Brewers officially sent Bauers on a rehab assignment to the Triple-A Nashville Sounds, according to the official Major League Baseball transactions log. He's on the 15-day injured list, so he's already eligible to return, and his absence has been short enough that he might not require a very long rehab.

In 59 games this year, Bauers batted .197 with a .672 OPS, slugging five home runs. He's been worth exactly 0.0 bWAR, so it's not as though the Brewers are counting on him to be a difference-maker.

It's always good to have as many healthy bodies as possible, so getting Bauers ready to return is priority No. 1. But when he's deemed good to go, what is his role going to be, exactly?

Bauers' main sources of at-bats were a little bit of first base, a little bit of left field, and always with a righty on the mound. Now that Vaughn is going gangbusters, even finding success with righties on the mound, it's reasonable to wonder if Bauers might see limited opportunity.

Of course, Vaughn's career track record suggests he could come back to earth, so it's good to have Bauers on hand. And Milwaukee also saw Bauers hit an unbelievably clutch home run in October last year, so they won't want to give up on him before the playoffs arrive.

If there's a roster crunch, Bauers is out of options, so he has to stay on the 26-man roster or be designated for assignment. That's hard to see happening, but it's a possibility that has to be mentioned.

In fact, the Brewers already optioned Tyler Black, who was recalled when Bauers originally hit the IL, to Triple-A. Infielder Anthony Siegler looks like the most obvious candidate for a demotion, assuming Bauers has a spot when he comes back.