\n\t\u00a0\n<\/p>\n
\n\tThe regular season is not the ideal time to have a roster battle. For one thing, the games count in the standings, and when you don\u2019t have a roster spot sorted out in the regular season, it can put some games in the ‘L’ column that may not have needed to be there.\n<\/p>\n
\n\tThat said, in the wake of an injury to Jackson Chourio<\/a> and a lack of collective faith in Blake Perkins<\/a>, the Brewers have created an in-season roster battle for the fourth outfielder spot. As has been the case with some of their other roster battles, it\u2019s hard to see how the team could go wrong. They have Perkins, who seems to have fallen out of favor but has a high floor; Brandon Lockridge<\/a>, about whom the organization is more excited; and a newcomer, in ex-Giants outfielder Luis Matos<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n \n\tThe Current Situation \n\tThe Brewers had planned to roll with Brandon Lockridge as the fourth outfielder before Chourio\u2019s injury. Lockridge is now, of course, splitting time with Jake Bauers<\/a> in left. So, how does this competition shake out? Let\u2019s look over the three players.\n<\/p>\n \n\tBlake Perkins \n\tHis pesky style<\/a> at the plate can often draw his at-bats out, even when they end in outs. That can have an effect on the field, even if the box score doesn\u2019t look pretty. Don\u2019t take my word for it; just ask White Sox Opening Day starter Shane Smith<\/a> what happens<\/a> when a pitch count runs up.\n<\/p>\n \n\tPerkins is a valuable complementary piece for the team, and while his offensive stats are weak and worsening, he sometimes enables Brice Turang<\/a>, William Contreras, Christian Yelich<\/a>, and Chourio to do the real damage against a pitcher he\u2019s helped to wear down.\n<\/p>\n \n\tBrandon Lockridge \n\tLockridge is someone manager Pat Murphy<\/a> has been high on<\/a>, and on teams with far less outfield depth, he\u2019d probably be a solid starter. He\u2019s got more speed and plays excellent defense, but it remains to be seen if he can translate his spring training breakout into regular-season results. His numbers (.348\/.423\/.391) so far reinforce the spring success and a big increase in bat speed hints that it’s sustainable, but it’s been all of 27 plate appearances.\n<\/p>\n \n\tLuis Matos
The Brewers found out shortly before Opening Day that Jackson Chourio had a fractured finger, suffered during a March 4 game in the World Baseball Classic. Remembering how the decision by William Contreras<\/a> to tough out a similar injury had affected his offense, the team put Chourio on the injured list to recover, calling up Perkins from Triple-A Nashville to backfill the spot.\n<\/p>\n
Perkins, in one sense, is the most proven commodity. He was an elite defensive center fielder in 2023 and 2024, and his defense has been his calling card. Offensively, he’s been at least intermittently competent, with his primary offensive asset being his speed.\n<\/p>\n
During spring training, Lockridge looked very impressive<\/a>, powering four home runs en route to a 1.059 OPS. Not bad for a player who was picked up in a late-season rush for outfield depth after Chourio went on the injured list with a hamstring injury, in exchange for Nestor Cortes<\/a> and minor-league prospect Jorge Quintana<\/a> (who had been bypassed by Jesus Made<\/a> and Luis Pena<\/a>).\n<\/p>\n
Matos was an intriguing pickup for the Brewers, partially because they already had a lot of outfield depth on the 40-man roster. In addition to Chourio, Sal Frelick<\/a>, Garrett Mitchell<\/a>, Perkins, and Lockridge, there\u2019s also Akil Baddoo<\/a>, Christian Yelich, Bauers and Tyler Black<\/a>, and only after they brought in Matos and made Cooper Pratt<\/a>‘s extension official did they jettison Steward Berroa<\/a>. However, Matos is only 24, and his bat could be quite dynamic. He’s shown the capacity to play above-average defense in the corner spots, too.\n<\/p>\n