Milwaukee Brewers: Scooter Gennett sent to Triple-A to add bullpen arm
By Phil Watson
Time ran out for Milwaukee Brewers second baseman Scooter Gennett on Monday, as the team’s Opening Day second baseman was optioned to Triple-A Colorado Springs, with right-hander Corey Knebel recalled to supplement the bullpen.
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Gennett, who turned 25 on May 1, is hitting just .154/.203/.200 in 21 games, with three runs, one home run and three RBI to go with 19 strikeouts.
Since being activated from the 15-day disabled list after recovering from a gash on his left hand, Gennett was just 4-for-36 and was hitless in his last 17 at-bats after a first-inning single against the Chicago Cubs on May 10.
The Brewers will be in Detroit Monday through Wednesday, employing the designated hitter with less need for pinch-hitters off the bench, thus the rationale for recalling Knebel, who had been closing for the Sky Sox prior to his promotion.
As for Gennett, who hit .289/.320/.434 in 137 games last season, this is a chance to get his swing back in order, with the promise that if he performs well in Colorado Springs, he’ll be back.
“I told him we don’t have a time frame,” general manager Doug Melvin told MLB.com. “I said, ‘I would like to think you’re going to be back in a couple of weeks, but don’t hold me to it, because if you’re not performing well, it won’t happen. If you’re performing well and playing good defense, it could happen.’”
Gennett supplanted longtime starter Rickie Weeks at second base last season, with Weeks playing against most left-handed starters in place of the lefty-swinging youngster. Gennett was given an opportunity to start against left-handers this season, but responded by not hitting much of anyone.
He’s 0-for-11 against lefties this season with five strikeouts, but isn’t lighting up right-handers either at just 10-for-54, a .185/.228/.241 slash line.
Manager Craig Counsell said the batting average wasn’t the only reason behind the demotion.
“Craig and I talked to him [Sunday] night in the hotel room and just told him he needed to go down and get his entire game together, both offense and defense,” Melvin said. “He understood. He took it fine. I told him we talked about it a week to 10 days ago and we gave him the benefit of the doubt because of the way he performed last year.”
With Gennett gone and shortstop Jean Segura on the disabled list with a broken pinky finger, a three-headed platoon of Hector Gomez, Elian Herrera and Luis Sardinas will man the middle-infield spots. Gomez started Monday’s game at second base, with Sardinas at shortstop and Herrera in the starting lineup at third base. Aramis Ramirez was employed as the DH.
In a season full of disappointments for the Brewers, the disappearance of Gennett’s offensive game has been one of the biggest.
Sebermetricians aren’t huge fans of Gennett’s upside, who broke into the major leagues during the 2013 season.
Part of Gennett’s issue this year has been bad luck—he’s hitting just .200 on balls put in play. But that’s part of a normalization—Gennett’s BABIP in 2013 was .380 and last season, he was at .321.
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But a lack of contact has been noticeable this season. Gennett has struck out in 27.5 percent of his plate appearances this season—a sharp increase from last year’s 14.1 percent rate.
Knebel becomes the second player acquired in the Yovani Gallardo trade in January to make his way to the 25-man roster, joining Sardinas, who was recalled when Segura went on the DL on Thursday.
The Brewers are Knebel’s third organization in the last year—he was traded by the Tigers to the Texas Rangers last July in a deal that sent Joakim Soria to Detroit before being part of the deal with the Rangers for Gallardo early this year.
In 16 appearances at Colorado Springs, Knebel had six saves with a 4.70 ERA and 1.370 WHIP in 15.1 innings, fanning 22 hitters.
He made eight appearances with Detroit last season, allowing 11 hits and six earned runs with three walks and 11 strikeouts in 8.2 innings.
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