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Where will Pedro Severino Play upon his Return to Brewers?

By Paul Bretl

BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - APRIL 13: A Milwaukee Brewers hat in the dugout during the game against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on April 13, 2022 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images)
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - APRIL 13: A Milwaukee Brewers hat in the dugout during the game against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on April 13, 2022 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images) /
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Pedro Severino rejoined the Milwaukee Brewers in Pittsburgh on Saturday and is presumably going to be added to the 26-man roster on Sunday when he becomes eligible.

As I’m sure you remember, Severino was signed over the offseason to be the No. 2 catcher behind Omar Narvaez after the Crew lost Manny Pina in free agency. However, Severino was served an 80-game suspension just before the season began due to a positive PED test.

With Severino’s return to action, the Brewers will have to get a bit creative when it comes to playing time as he is now the third catcher on the roster, with Narvaez and Victor Caratini both playing quite well.

Narvaez is batting .257 with a .722 OPS and an above-league average OPS+ of 104. Caratini, meanwhile, has a .248 average, an impressive .834 OPS, and a 134 OPS+ with six home runs over 124 plate appearances. Both have also been very good defensively with the ever-changing Milwaukee Brewers pitching staff.

With how well Caratini has performed, it’s not as if Milwaukee is going to release him. It’s also important to remember that while Severino can return to regular season action, he is ineligible for the postseason.

As a result, Severino is likely not going to see a ton of action behind home plate — although he will still make some appearances— but where he could carve out a more consistent role is either at first base or as the designated hitter. With Double-A Biloxi and Triple-A Nashville recently, he would spend time at both of those positions.

Over his career, Severino has a .262 batting average and a .765 OPS against left-handed pitching. Rowdy Tellez, the Brewers’ primary first baseman, has a career .737 OPS against left-handers but is at just .669 this season–so perhaps there is a platoon opportunity there. Meanwhile, Andrew McCutchen, who sees plenty of action as the DH, has an OPS of .724 verse lefties in 2022, although his career figure is .944.

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With Severino rejoining the roster, the Milwaukee Brewers will have to also make a difficult decision and let someone go in order to free up space for him on the 26-man team.

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