The Nashville Sounds will be without one of their hottest hitters for the foreseeable future after the Milwaukee Brewers recalled infielder Mark Mathias to the MLB roster on Wednesday.
The Brewers need to fill right fielder Hunter Renfroe’s spot in the lineup after he went on the 10-day injured list. It’s reported he will miss up to two weeks.
While Mathias will occupy Renfroe’s roster spot, he will also help fill Milwaukee’s infield depth, which took a hit when shortstop Willy Adames was injured on May 15 against the Miami Marlins.
Mathias was hitting .341 in 27 games with the Sounds this season, belting four home runs and 16 RBIs. Between five different teams (through A-ball, Double-A, and Triple-A) Mathias is a career .262 hitter in the minors with 32 home runs and 226 RBIs.
He had hits in eight of his last nine games and 10 of 13 games in May.
Wednesday’s call-up will be Mathias’s second stint with the big league team, as he made the roster during the shortened 2020 season. He played in 16 games that season, and while he hit .278, he returned to Nashville last season after putting up a .639 on-base plus slugging percentage in Milwaukee. He missed the 2021 season with a torn right shoulder.
While the Brewers aren’t typically known for having a strong farm system, the organization has solid infield depth, which pays off during injury call ups.
The Sounds, who will be on the road in Toledo and Durham for their next two series, with other players stepping up for him. Players including shortstop Brice Turang and (infielder) Pablo Reyes are all regular contributors to the Sounds’ lineup.
Reyes will likely take Mathias’ spot at second with Keston Hiura (5 GP, .421 BA, 3 HRs, 10 RBIs) and Jamie Westbrook (3 GP, .500 BA, 5 H) serving as backups.