Andrew Vaughn Works Third Base as Brewers Eye Cooper Pratt

Andrew Vaughn at third base gave the Brewers a fresh look in Las Vegas, and cooper pratt is part of the bigger picture now. Vaughn handled the hot corner in the eighth inning against the Athletics and looked comfortable there while making a 5-3 putout.

Vaughn at the hot corner

The move showed Pat Murphy that Vaughn has enough experience and comfort at third base to handle the position in a major league game. That gives Milwaukee another internal option as it tries to solve the weakest part of its infield offense.

The Brewers have struggled most on the left side of the infield, where Joey Ortiz and Luis Rengifo have not delivered consistent production. Ortiz has posted a 57 OPS+, and Rengifo has posted a 52 OPS+ after signing with Milwaukee as a free agent.

Hamilton's two-week stretch

David Hamilton has been the most productive left-side infielder over the past two weeks, hitting.282/.364/.564 across 12 games. He has split time between third base and shortstop, which has helped keep Milwaukee from settling on one fixed answer there.

That rotation leaves the Brewers weighing how aggressive they want to be before the August 3 trade deadline. Luis Rengifo cannot be traded without his consent until June 16, so any near-term change at the position has to come from within the current roster until that date passes.

Cooper Pratt and Jett Williams

Milwaukee may still upgrade the spot another way, either by promoting cooper pratt or Jett Williams or by making a trade before August 3. Vaughn’s inning in Las Vegas does not solve the issue by itself, but it shows the club can test a more creative answer while it waits for a bigger move to open up.