Hiura (elbow) elected to become a free agent Wednesday.
Hiura was stellar in Triple-A Nashville this season, slashing .308/.395/.565 with 23 homers and 77 RBI across 367 plate appearances. However, his reputation for struggling in the majors combined with the Brewers' depth at first base kept him from appearing in the big leagues. The 27-year-old will likely now look to latch on with another organization that can offer a clearer path back to the majors.
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Brewers' Keston Hiura: Sidelined with elbow issue
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Hiura is currently sidelined at Triple-A Nashville due to right elbow discomfort, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.
The elbow has been bothering him for a while, per McCalvy, and the 27-year-old has been sent for imaging scans as the Brewers try to sort out the exact nature of the issue. Hiura has yet to be given a look in the majors this season, and it might not happen at all now, but he boasts a .308/.395/.565 slash line with 23 home runs and 77 RBI through 85 games at Triple-A.
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Brewers' Keston Hiura: Crushing Triple-A pitching
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Hiura went 23-for-69 (.333) with six home runs, three doubles, 22 RBI and a 4:19 BB:K over his last 18 games with Triple-A Nashville.
Hiura has spent the entire season at the Triple-A level, but he is doing all he can to earn another trip to the big leagues. The Brewers have been hesitant to call him up because that would require opening a spot on the 40-man roster, but with the end of the campaign drawing closer they may change course at some point.
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Brewers' Keston Hiura: Activated at Triple-A
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Triple-A Nashville reinstated Hiura (knee) from its 7-day injured list Wednesday, Sam Dykstra of MiLB.com reports.
Hiura will rejoin Nashville after he recently completed a three-game rehab assignment in the rookie-level Arizona Complex League, where he went 4-for-10 with a double and a walk. The 26-year-old had been on the shelf at Triple-A since mid-May due to a PCL injury.
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Brewers' Keston Hiura: Starting rehab stint
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Hiura (knee) will begin a rehab assignment with the Brewers' Arizona Complex League affililate on Friday, Sam Dykstra of MiLB.com reports.
It will be the first game action in a little over a month for Hiura, who suffered a PCL strain at Triple-A Nashville. Prior to the injury, the 26-year-old had a 1.073 OPS with 12 home runs across 32 games. He was removed from the Brewers' 40-man roster just before Opening Day.
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Brewers' Keston Hiura: Out with PCL injury
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Hiura has been placed on the 7-day injured list with a PCL injury, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.
Hiura has performed well for Triple-A Nashville before the injury with a .331 average, 1.074 OPS and 12 homers in 118 at-bats. The former top prospect will not be able to return to the field until late June at the earliest. Hiura is no longer on the 40-man roster and struggled mightily after showing some success as a rookie, but his strong performance for Nashville as a 26-year-old was encouraging to see prior to the injury.
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Brewers' Keston Hiura: Tearing it up in Triple-A
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Hiura went 6-for-24 (.250) with five home runs, eight RBI and a 2:7 BB:K over his last six games with Triple-A Nashville.
Hiura opened the season in the minors for the first time since 2019, and opposing pitchers have offered little resistance thus far. That's not surprising, as Hiura now owns a 1.005 OPS across 133 Triple-A games. The hot streak would seem to put him in the mix for a call-up, but the Brewers seem set at first base and the DH spot for the time being. A trade is a possibility, but Hiura went unclaimed after being designated for assignment in late March, so outside interest appears light. Hiura is bound to get another shot in the majors at some point; it's just uncertain when that will arrive.
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Brewers' Keston Hiura: Stays in organization
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Hiura cleared waivers and was outrighted Tuesday to Triple-A Nashville, Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.
Hiura was designated for assignment Monday, a few days after the Brewers informed him that he wouldn't be included on the Opening Day roster. It's rather surprising that he didn't draw waiver-wire interest from other teams as a 26-year-old former top prospect, but that's how far his star has fallen. Hiura also couldn't elect free agency because this was his first career outright assignment. He'll remain part of the Brewers organization for now at a 2023 salary of $2.2 million.
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Brewers' Keston Hiura: Dropped from 40-man roster
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The Brewers designated Hiura for assignment Monday, Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.
Hiura was told Friday that he wouldn't be a part of the Opening Day roster and now he's been dropped from the team's 40-man roster. The former top prospect for Milwaukee has never really clicked at the major-league level, most recently batting .226 with a career-high 41.7 percent strikeout rate over 234 at-bats in 80 games last season. Hiura will now either be claimed by another team, remain with Triple-A Nashville or be released outright. Considering the fact that he's only 26 years old, it's unlikely that he wouldn't draw interest from another team.
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Brewers' Keston Hiura: Won't make Opening Day roster
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Hiura was informed Friday that he will not be on the Brewers' Opening Day roster, Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.
That might explain why Hiura was scratched from the starting lineup for Friday's Cactus League game against the Dodgers. Milwaukee will look to trade the former top prospect over the next few days, per general manager Matt Arnold. If there are no takers, he'll be put on waivers. It sounds like the 26-year-old's time in the Brewers organization is about to come to an end.
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Brewers' Keston Hiura: Scratched from lineup
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Hiura was scratched from the Brewers' lineup ahead of their game against the Dodgers on Friday, Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.
No word yet on what might be keeping Hiura out of the lineup, but the Brewers will likely provide an update soon. Hiura is slashing just .156/.229/.219 through 35 plate appearances this spring.
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Brewers' Keston Hiura: Bringing back toe tap
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Hiura has brought back the toe tap in his swing, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.
It's something that Hiura is trying to reincorporate on the fly as he struggles to find a groove in Cactus League play. Through his first 35 plate appearances this spring, the 26-year-old has batted just .156/.229/.219 with zero home runs and 15 strikeouts. He is out of minor-league options, so a tough decision could be coming soon as the Brewers sort out their Opening Day roster.
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Brewers' Keston Hiura: Settles at $2.2 million
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Hiura agreed to a one-year, $2.2 million contract with the Brewers on Friday to avoid arbitration, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.
It's Hiura's first year of arbitration eligibility, and he'll receive a nice raise from his pre-arbitration salary over the past few years. The 26-year-old had a .226/.316/.449 slash line with 14 home runs and a 41.7 percent strikeout rate in 80 games last season, and he's likely to open 2023 in a bench role.
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Brewers' Keston Hiura: Run of starts ends
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Hiura is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Rockies.
Hiura had started each of the past six games at either first base or designated hitter, going 6-for-24 with a double, a walk, two runs and an RBI. With an .819 OPS on the campaign, Hiura has played his way into more opportunities, though he's still likely behind Rowdy Tellez and Andrew McCutchen in the pecking order for work at first base and DH, respectively.
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Brewers' Keston Hiura: Hits walkoff homer
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Hiura went 1-for-3 and hit a game-winning, two-run home run in Monday's 7-5 victory over the Pirates.
The Brewers trailed by two runs heading into the bottom of the eighth inning, but they tied the game in that frame and wound up in the win column thanks to Hiura's long ball in the ninth inning. Hiura still isn't playing on an everyday basis, but he started 12 of the Brewers' last 22 games. During that timeframe, he's hit .262 (11-for-42) and has posted six homers, 11 RBI and a 1.017 OPS.
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Brewers' Keston Hiura: Cranks two homers
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Hiura went 2-for-4 with two homers, three RBI and two runs scored in Sunday's 5-2 win over the Cubs.
The Brewers' DH went hitless in his two at bats against starter Justin Steele but got to the Cubs' bullpen with a solo shot in the seventh to tie the game at 2-2 and a two-run homer in the top of the ninth to push the game to 5-2. The 26-year-old is now slashing .247/.349/.507 despite his strikeout rate being north of 40%. If he can find a way to more regular at-bats, he could continue to be a sneaky source of home runs the rest of the way.
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Brewers' Keston Hiura: Collects fifth stolen base
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Hiura went 2-for-4 with a stolen base in Wednesday's 2-1 loss to the Dodgers.
Despite not having a full-time role with the Brewers at any point this season and having spent chunks of the year in the minors, Hiura has been a sneaky source of counting stats with 10 home runs and five steals across 160 plate appearances. After a quality showing at the plate Wednesday while serving as the Brewers' designated hitter, Hiura will stick in the lineup for Thursday's series finale, batting sixth and manning first base.
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Brewers' Keston Hiura: Second home run in as many days
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Hiura went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Sunday's 4-2 loss to the Reds.
In his second start since getting called up from Nashville, Hiura launched a 422-foot home run to right field against Hunter Strickland to send the game to extra innings. Hiura has now hit a home run in both starts since his promotion. Despite a 43.5 percent strikeout rate, the first baseman has been effective when given the opportunity in the big leagues, sporting a 132 wRC+ in 45 games. He could be a difference maker if he can keep the strikeouts in check and starts more regularly.
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Brewers' Keston Hiura: Delivers two-run blast
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Hiura went 1-for-2 with a two-run home run in Saturday's 7-5 loss to the Reds.
This was Hiura's first start and second game since he was brought up from Triple-A Nashville on Wednesday. He got the Brewers within a run with his fourth-inning blast, but the Reds pulled away again after that. For the season, Hiura owns a .240/.354/.472 slash line with nine long balls, 19 RBI, 21 runs scored and four stolen bases. The righty hitter owns noticeable reverse splits with a 1.054 OPS against righties versus a .559 OPS versus lefties this year, but he may still have to settle for the short side of a platoon with Rowdy Tellez at first base.
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Brewers' Keston Hiura: Gets call-up from Nashville
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The Brewers recalled Hiura from Triple-A Nashville on Wednesday.
Though Hiura will be back to provide the Brewers with another right-handed-hitting option off the bench, he might not be guaranteed a short-side platoon role. Albeit in a limited sample, Hiura has been far more effective against righties (.453 wOBA, 194 wRC+ in 79 plate appearances) than lefties (.238 wOBA, 48 wRC+ in 65 plate appearances) during his time with the big club this season.
