Milwaukee Brewers

The Milwaukee Brewers are "contemplating" whether to relocate amid negotiations for taxpayer-funded renovations to American Family Field, according to Molly Beck of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

The "Brew Crew" could start looking for a new home as soon as this fall if officials fail to come to terms on a taxpayer-funded package for improvements to Milwaukee's baseball stadium, which is required in the team's lease with the state, Beck added.

The lack of an agreement "has pushed Brewers officials to a point of contemplating whether communities with fast-growing populations, and no Major League Baseball teams, might be options if state and local officials don't produce enough funding for stadium renovations," according to Beck.

The Brewers have outlined $448 million in renovations needed at American Family Field, a publicly-owned stadium, that are required to maintain the terms of the team's lease with the state's Southeast Wisconsin Professional Baseball Park District, which are responsible for making the repairs.

The Brewers' lease runs through the end of 2030, but the club has been pushing for immediate improvements to the ballpark. Without a funding deal, the stadium district might not have enough money to fund the improvements, per Beck.

"The Brewers genuinely want to stay, it is only a question of whether they'll be able to with the (stadium) district broke," a source familiar with negotiations told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred also put some pressure on the Brewers and Wisconsin to upgrade the team's ballpark while meeting with reporters in May.

"It's really important that the existing obligation under the lease be funded so that this great ballpark is maintained," Manfred said.

The Brewers have been a fixture in Milwaukee since 1970 and they've been playing at American Family Field since 2001. And although the "Brew Crew" didn't reach the playoffs in 2022, they've been a solid team over the last two decades.

MLB relocations in the modern are rare. The last team to relocate was the Montreal Expos, which moved to Washington and became the Nationals in 2004.

However, the Oakland Athletics are expected to move to Las Vegas in 2025 with no stadium agreement in place to keep them in the California Bay Area.

Having good players is the easiest way to win baseball games, so the Milwaukee Brewers are going to keep theirs ahead of the stretch run this season.

"From what I've heard, that won't happen," pitcher Corbin Burnes said of a possible sell-off, per Jon Heyman of the New York Post. "I've heard we're actually trying to win baseball games. I think a lot of people probably know that wasn't the best thing to do last year after the way the year finished."

Heyman reported in June that Milwaukee does not plan on selling at the trade deadline this season like it did last year with a move that sent Josh Hader to the San Diego Padres.

The report specifically highlighted Burnes, who is under contract through 2024, as someone who "isn't going anywhere."

Milwaukee is 49-42 on the season and one game behind the Cincinnati Reds for first place in the National League Central. Burnes, who made the third All-Star Game of his career this year, is a major reason the team is a contender thanks to his 3.94 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 102 strikeouts in 107.1 innings.

If he and the Brewers can accomplish their outlandish goal of actually winning baseball games, he could be a significant factor in October as well.

Attendance at Oakland Athletics games has hit record lows this season. The team is on pace for the lowest winning percentage in MLB history, and the franchise's plan to move to Las Vegas is seemingly falling apart.

The A's still beat the Milwaukee Brewers and starting pitcher Adrian Houser 5-2 on Friday.

"I think everyone forgets they're a Major League Baseball team," Houser said about the Athletics, per MLB.com's Martín Gallegos. "Doesn't matter what the record is. ... If their organization doesn't want to win, that's on them. ... They're still competitors. They're still going to try to beat you every time."

Houser fell into an early hole while pitching the first four innings against Oakland, falling behind 4-0 in the second inning.

By the time he stepped off the mound, Houser had given up five runs on six hits and four walks while striking out four batters.

Milwaukee got two runs back on a pair of RBI doubles in the bottom of the second but was unable to overcome the early deficit.

In Houser's last appearance during a 5-1 Brewers victory over the Cincinnati Reds on June 4, he held batters to just one run as he allowed six hits and no walks through seven innings while striking out two.

"It was the command," Houser said after the win over the Reds, per Keith Jenkins of the Associated Press. "That's where everything starts. That's how we were able to hide stuff and be able to disguise some other pitches. Just hitting spots and attacking early. Getting those early strikes is a big thing for me."

That command was lacking Friday, as Houser allowed a hit on the first pitch of the game.

The Brewers will look to rebound from their loss to a historically underperforming A's team when the two teams meet again Saturday in Milwaukee at 4:10 p.m. ET.

For the first time since 2015, Jon Singleton will play in a Major League Baseball game.

The first baseman was called up by the Milwaukee Brewers after the organization placed Darin Ruf and Tyrone Taylor on the injured list. He was named a starter for the team's game against the Cincinnati Reds on Saturday.

"It's been a long journey," Singleton said. "Right now, I really can't even describe my emotions, my feelings. Definitely grateful."

Singleton made headlines as a top prospect in the Houston Astros organization and signed a $10 million contract before making his major league debut. He played in 114 games across 2014 and 2015 for Houston, hitting .171 with 14 home runs and 44 RBI's.

He had multiple drug suspensions in his earlier career, which put his promising potential in jeopardy. He was released by Houston while serving a 100-game suspension in 2018 and played in the Mexican League in 2021.

He was signed by the Brewers in 2021 and has spent his time with the Triple-A Nashville Sounds. He is hitting .258 with 10 home runs and 29 RBI's for the Sounds.

"It's definitely rewarding," Singleton said. "There's been a lot of hard work that I've put in. There's been a lot of things I've done emotionally, physically and spiritually to get to this point. Very, very grateful."

He joins a Brewers team that currently leads the NL Central.

Milwaukee Brewers shortstop Willy Adames seems to be trending in the right direction after a scary incident that left him hospitalized Friday.

While the Brewers announced he was placed on the seven-day concussion list after he was hit by a foul ball in the dugout during Friday's game, manager Craig Counsell told reporters Saturday it was "all good news" for the shortstop, who is now at home resting.

Counsell said the 27-year-old was discharged from the hospital and could rejoin the team by week's end in Cincinnati.

Adames had just one plate appearance during Milwaukee's 15-1 loss to the San Francisco Giants and was replaced by Brice Turang at shortstop.

The team selected infielder Andruw Monasterio from Triple-A Nashville as part of a corresponding move for Adames.

The shortstop was struck by a foul ball from teammate Brian Anderson during the second inning, although Counsell told reporters Friday there were no fractures

"He was alert and responsive as he left, and then we got pretty good news at the hospital, too," the manager said. "Obviously, he's in pain. But I think overall I think not bad news, considering how scary it was."

Adames has appeared in all 51 games for Milwaukee this season.

He is slashing .205/.292/.384 with nine home runs, 27 RBI and four stolen bases. The numbers aren't quite what they were last season when he launched a career-best 31 home runs and 98 RBI or in 2021 when he hit .285.

Milwaukee is in first place in the National League Central at 27-24 and is a half-game ahead of the second-place Pittsburgh Pirates.

Milwaukee Brewers shortstop Willy Adames left Friday's game after being struck by a foul ball in the side of the head during the bottom of the second inning, per multiple reports.

Adames, who was sitting on the top step of the dugout when he was struck by a foul ball off the bat of Milwaukee third baseman Brian Anderson, is undergoing more testing.

Per Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Video from the third-base side of the field showed that the ball appeared to strike Adames in the side of the head. Adames' head was turned to his right before the pitch was thrown; he then appeared to shift his vision back toward the plate right as Anderson swung."

After being evaluated and receiving treatment in the clubhouse, he was then taken to a local hospital.

Adames, 27, came into Friday's game hitting .205 with nine homers, 27 RBI, 23 runs and a .673 OPS in 50 games. He remains a solid source of power for the Brewers from his shortstop position after hitting 25 homers in 2021 between the Brewers and Tampa Bay Rays and a career-high 31 homers and 98 RBI last season.

He hit 20 or more dingers in three of his first five seasons.

The Brewers came into Friday's game with a 27-23 record, tops in the NL Central. Milwaukee is looking to return to the postseason after missing out last year, breaking a four-year playoff streak that included a trip to the NLCS in 2018.

The Brewers haven't won a playoff series since, however.

After taking a Manny Machado line drive to multiple areas on his body Saturday, Milwaukee Brewers relief pitcher Gus Varland avoided a serious injury and expects to be pitching again in a few days.

Varland hung a slider over the middle of the plate, and Machado drove it right back at him, with the ball making direct contact with his right arm and secondary contact with his head and left arm.

He was knocked down on the play and was helped off the field by two teammates and one of the team's trainers.

Varland left the game but said his X-rays were negative. He claimed that he wanted to finish the game but admitted that adrenaline was likely a factor in that hope.

He said he felt his teeth click but did not believe he suffered any damage.

Varland is in his first season in MLB, with a 3.00 ERA over five appearances entering Saturday. He was acquired by the Brewers in the offseason as a part of the Rule 5 player draft. He worked 0.2 innings and allowed one unearned run in Milwaukee's 10-3 loss.

The Milwaukee Brewers damaged the relationship with their best player by choosing to go to salary arbitration instead of trying to iron out a contract.

Speaking to reporters at Brewers' spring training, Corbin Burnes said his relationship with the team is "definitely hurt" from what happened during his arbitration hearing.

MLB.com's Adam McCalvy added the Brewers attempted add a team or mutual option for next season to Burnes' 2023 contract that he and his camp considered a "pretty poor" offer.

On Wednesday, McCalvy reported Milwaukee won its arbitration case against Burnes and will pay him $10.01 million this season. The 2021 National League Cy Young winner was seeking $10.75 million.

One of the biggest problems Burnes had with the Brewers' arbitration presentation was "basically putting me in the forefront of why we didn't make it to the postseason last year."

Burnes did struggle in the second half of the 2022 season. He looked like he was on his way to a second consecutive NL Cy Young in the first half with a 2.14 ERA, 0.897 WHIP and 144 strikeouts in 113.2 innings.

After the All-Star break, Burnes had a 3.97 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and 99 strikeouts in 88.1 innings over 15 starts. Those numbers were inflated by two bad starts at the end of August when he gave up nine earned runs in 9.2 innings against the Los Angeles Dodgers and Pittsburgh Pirates.

There were plenty of reasons beyond Burnes' modest struggles that kept the Brewers out of the playoffs. Several of their players didn't seem thrilled that closer Josh Hader was traded to the San Diego Padres on Aug. 1 with the team in the middle of a pennant race.

Hader was in the midst of a rough stretch that that he didn't figure out until the playoffs. The left-hander had a 9.62 ERA in his final 29 appearances during the regular season between the Brewers and Padres.

In five playoff games with the Padres, Hader allowed just one hit with 10 strikeouts in 5.1 innings.

Hader publicly expressed his unhappiness with the arbitration process in 2020 when he lost his case with the Brewers. His frustration wasn't about the team so much as the "outdated" system in place to determine how much a player should be paid.

Since becoming a full-time starting pitcher in 2020, Burnes has been one of the best in baseball. He leads all pitchers in FanGraphs' wins above replacement (14.4) over the past three seasons. Philadelphia Phillies right-hander Zack Wheeler is second on the list at 13.3 fWAR.

The Brewers finished 2022 with an 86-76 record, one game behind the Philadelphia Phillies for the final wild-card spot in the NL. It was the first time they missed the playoffs since 2017.

Burnes has two more years of team control remaining before he can become a free agent after the 2024 season.

A 25-year-old man has been charged with felony burglary after stealing items from the Milwaukee Brewers clubhouse after a game, according to Drake Bentley of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.

Justin Bloedorn allegedly passed out in the bushes outside American Family Field during the Sept. 8 doubleheader against the San Francisco Giants. When he woke up, he entered the team facility and admitted to stealing memorabilia, electronics and more.

"(Bloedorn) stated that he walked up to the door of the stadium and began pulling on it until it opened," the criminal complaint said.

According to a Brewers equipment manager, a 45-year anniversary 1982 Brewers signed bat, a replica World Series ring, and keys to the Arizona spring training facility were among the items taken from his office, per Bentley.

The burglary also included manager Craig Counsell's jersey and shaving kit, as well as a work laptop, a credit card and more from the Brewers strength coach.

Bloedorn took an Uber home from the game with a duffel bag of all the items, according to his roommate. The roommate notified police of the theft after Bloedorn sent text messages and photos from inside the stadium.

Surveillance video also captured some of the criminal activities. Police found a majority of items at the suspect's apartment.

Bloedorn could face up to 12 years and six months in prison if convicted.