The Brewers announced that outfielder Sal Frelick has been reinstated from the 10-day injured list. Infielder/outfielder Jonathan Ornelas has been designated for assignment as the corresponding move.
Ornelas’ tenure in Milwaukee is over after less than two weeks. He joined the club in a rare post-trade deadline swap with the A’s. The veteran utilityman played with the Athletics earlier this month, was DFAed, then re-signed on a minor league deal. That allowed him to be dealt after the deadline since he technically hadn’t been on a 40-man roster (under the new minor league contract).
The 26-year-old Ornelas appeared in three games with the Brewers. He picked up two hits in nine at-bats. Ornelas covered second base while Brice Turang recovered from a knee injury. Turang returned to the lineup last Tuesday. Cooper Pratt was activated from the 10-day IL the following day. Ornelas hadn’t played since then.
Ornelas has only totaled six games in the majors this season. Most of his year has been spent at Triple-A, and he’s performed well in the minors. Ornelas has slashed .310/.378/.505 in 81 games between the Yankees and Athletics organizations. It’s one of the better offensive stretches of Ornelas’ pro career.
Milwaukee will now place Ornelas on the waiver wire. If he goes unclaimed, he’ll have the ability to reject a minor league assignment and choose free agency since he’s been outrighted before.
Frelick has been out since mid-July with what was labeled a right shoulder strain. He told reporters that he’s playing through a torn labrum (video link via Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel). Frelick’s return could push Garrett Mitchell or Luis Lara to a fourth outfielder role.
There’s also a chance Frelick himself moves into a more part-time arrangement. Mitchell has been 19% better than league average at the plate. Lara has been mediocre at the dish, but he’s provided strong defense in multiple spots. Frelick has a 76 wRC+ through 313 plate appearances this year. He’s been a slight negative in right field by Defensive Runs Saved.
