Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Rhys Hoskins last appeared in a game on July 5, when he injured his thumb attempting a tag, and he isn’t expected back until mid-August at best. So far, the lineup has managed just fine without him, calling up Andrew Vaughn in the aftermath of Hoskins’ injury. Then Jake Bauers joined him on the sidelines with a shoulder issue. In response, the Brewers promoted prospect Tyler Black, who made his first start of the season yesterday. Is that enough to tide the order over until Hoskins and Bauers return?
Lineup will have a Hoskins-sized hole if Vaughn stops slugging
Hoskins plays an important role in a Brewers lineup a tad thin on thump. A mid-order cog, he has hit 12 homeruns, driven in 42, and produced a solid .186 isolated power. One of the few Brewers who rack up strikeouts, he compensates by drawing walks, boosting his on-base percentage to .340.
Without him, DH Christian Yelich and outfielder Jackson Chourio are Milwaukee’s only bona fide power threats.
Of course, Vaughn has also been that in his short time as a Brewer. Acquired from the White Sox in June, he has gained most of the at bats at first since being called up to replace Hoskins. After a miserable going in Chicago, Vaughn has 12 RBIs and a .943 OPS in 31 at bats.
Even with Bauers healthy, though, relying on Vaughn every day would leave the Brewers in a precarious position. Sure he’s been great in Milwaukee, but his White Sox slump covers a much larger sample of the season. Even though his track record says he isn’t that bad, and while a change of scenery or hitting staff certainly seems like part of his turnaround, those factors aren’t enough to ignore his earlier struggles. Amidst a playoff surge, the Brewers have too much at stake for that.
Milwaukee Brewers have a lot to lose from downside of Vaughn-plus-Black pairing
And then there’s Black. Batting sixth against Seattle, the left-hitting rookie went 2-5 with a double, a run scored, and an RBI. He drew a pinch-hit walk the day before, summing up his big-league action so far this season.
In 2024 for the Brewers, in his first cup of coffee, he went 10-49 with a .245 slugging average.
Although Vaughn has “cooled,” going 0-for in his last two games, he should remain the starter most days. Combined with Vaughn’s iffy overall season, Black probably isn’t an adequate bat to have behind him.
He has had a difficult year. After suffering a broken hand in spring training, having surgery, and recovering from it, Black struggled at Triple-A after a brief but productive rehab stint in rookie ball. Hopefully it’s just a product of rust, but his .191 average and .604 OPS are not encouraging indicators for an extended stretch in the majors.
To be fair, he was much better in Nashville last season, hitting for solid power, driving in runs, and drawing a ton of walks. Maybe his 2-5 day versus the Mariners is a sign of things to come.
The Brewers could wait a few more games to see how the Vaughn-Black tandem fares, but both injured first basemen are still at least three weeks away from returning – they shouldn’t wait too long. There is too much uncertainty.
Will Vaughn keep hitting? Will Hoskins take some time to recover his stroke? Will he find it again this season? Bauers was slumping terribly before heading to the injured list. Were his struggles all injury related, and will they disappear when he returns?
With the July 31 trade deadline fast approaching, the Brewers should get busy exploring insurance options to secure a bit more boom in the batter’s box.
