Todd Rosiak and Tom Haudricourt

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Jeremy Jeffress took his first major step toward returning to the Milwaukee Brewers' bullpen on Friday night when he threw 25 pitches over 1 1/3 innings in a game with Class AAA San Antonio.

And should everything go according to plan, the right-hander could be back with the Brewers as soon as the team's next homestand.

"Everything went good," manager Craig Counsell said of Jeffress's outing for the Missions. He allowed two hits — the big blow a two-run home run that earned him a blown save — and registered a strikeout.

"We were happy he went out there for the second inning. He’ll pitch again Monday or Tuesday. We’re debating.

"We’re making good progress. Everything is in line."

Milwaukee opens its next homestand April 15, giving Jeffress an opportunity for probably 3-4 more appearances with the Missions. Two of those will need to come on consecutive days to mimic what would be normal usage in the Brewers bullpen.

Jeffress has been out since March 6, when he was pulled from his Cactus League debut after throwing only three pitches. His fastball velocity was clocked at 83-84 mph, and he was placed on a strengthening program afterward for what was termed shoulder weakness.

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"If everything goes well, activation should happen the next homestand," Counsell said.

Even without Jeffress and Corey Knebel (Tommy John surgery), the Brewers still have gotten a solid performance thus far from their bullpen. Josh Hader has been nearly unhittable as the closer, veterans Chase Anderson and Junior Guerra have performed well and newcomer Alex Wilson has already registered a save.

Adding a productive and experienced Jeffress into the mix would nevertheless be big.

"We’re looking forward to getting him back," said Counsell of the 2018 all-star. "He’s been on the right path now, a month now of positive days, so there’s no reason why that should change at this point."

Thames working to stay ready

Generally speaking, pinch-hitting is considered one of the toughest duties in the major leagues, particularly for players accustomed to being in the lineup on a regular basis.

There is one aspect about coming off the bench that Eric Thames enjoys, however: The work beforehand. No one is more focused on preparation before a game than Thames, who lost his starting job at first base to Jesús Aguilar last season while sidelined with a thumb injury.

As for his approach once he gets in the batter’s box, Thames said, “Just be aggressive. You can’t worry about being comfortable. Just anything you get to hit, you want to put the barrel on it.”

Thames did exactly that Friday night when he hammered a three-run home run in the seventh inning off Chicago reliever Brandon Kintzler. The blow gave the Brewers a seemingly comfy 13-5 lead but proved to be the decisive hit when the Cubs rallied for five late runs to make it a 13-10 game.

Amazingly, Thames repeated that feat Saturday night, slugging another three-run homer off the bench. This time, it wasn't enough as the Brewers fell to the Cubs, 14-8.

It was the fourth hit in seven pinch-hit appearances for Thames, a slugger who generally needs to accumulate at-bats to get his swing in a groove. Oddly enough, in the one game he started, Thames went 0 for 4 with four strikeouts.

Though power hitters often struggle with the infrequency of at-bat in a pinch-hitting role, manager Craig Counsell thinks Thames can be successful over time.

“Look, pinch-hitting is a little new to Eric,” Counsell said. “On a more regular basis, he’s going to see that, and I think he can be really important for us in that role. I think having early success, it’s important.

“We got him a good matchup (against Kintzler) with some runners on base and he delivered. That’s huge. He can be a real weapon for us in that spot with that power. It’s somebody the other team has got to really think about.”

No player on the Brewers’ roster spends more time with a bat in his hands, before, during and after a game, than Thames, who relies on visualization techniques to keep himself ready when his time comes. As a pinch-hitter, there are no second chances, so he says you have to get up there and let it rip.

“You can’t get caught up in the results,” he said. “It’s tough facing big-league pitchers. You have bullpen dudes that throw 100 mph with nasty sliders and (split-fingered fastballs). Just get something to hit and put your best swing on it. You have to try to lay off the bad pitches.

“The one thing about not playing every day is you can work twice, three times as hard (beforehand). You’re not worried about being in a game for nine innings. Guys can get in the habit of doing less work. That’s not a habit I want to get into.”

Looking the other way

After going 0 for 16 at the plate to start the season, Orlando Arcia entered Saturday having gone 4 for his last 7 with a pair of homers, five runs batted in and a pair of walks.

What's notable is none of his hits have been pulled. One has gone to center field and the other three – including both homers – have gone to right. It's an approach the 24-year-old shortstop has been focusing on as he tries to carry over his late-season success from 2018.

"My approach is definitely middle-away," Arcia said through translator Carlos Brizuela. "That’s where I’m having more success and where I’m trying to work toward. As long as I keep it going, I know I can get my hands on the ball.

"I’ve been working on it a lot with (hitting coach) Andy Haines, and he’s been working hard with me to get that approach to work in the cages and in batting practice. I’m just thankful that I’ve been able to go that way and thankful they’ve been going over the fence."

Arcia has shown the ability to sustain success at the plate, having hit .277 with 15 homers and 53 RBI in 2017 – his first full season in the majors. He hit 40.4 percent of his balls in play up the middle that year, which is what Counsell noted.

"For Orlando, the glove side of the centerfielder is always the prime spot you’re trying to target," Counsell said. "In 2017, in his good stretch that I see in my head always in the middle of the summer, July, that’s where the ball went a lot. That’s for every hitter.

"You’ve seen where (Christian) Yelich’s balls have gone during this streak, right? It’s for every hitter, and it’s a sign of a hitter that’s really timed and locked in."