Throughout the month of August, the Milwaukee Brewers have dealt with a thin roster, particularly in the infield. Over the last two weeks, Cooper Pratt was placed on the injured list with a hamstring strain, while Brice Turang missed time with left knee pain, and Joey Ortiz dealt with a lingering upper back issue that caused him to miss several games.

The lack of available infielders led Milwaukee to add Jihwan Bae and Jonathan Ornelas, while Andrew Vaughn was also pressed into service at third base for multiple games. However, with the roster starting to get healthier, Milwaukee will soon have some difficult decisions to make.

In addition to Pratt’s nearing return, which could come as soon as tonight, outfielder Sal Frelick is approaching a return from a shoulder strain that landed him on the IL after the first game of the second half. Meanwhile, trade deadline acquisition JoJo Romero is hoping to begin a rehab assignment in the near future after missing the last month due to a midseason emergency appendectomy. That trio returning to the field before rosters expand on September 1 will at least temporarily squeeze some current Brewers out of roster spots before the end of the month.

3 players are unlikely to remain on Brewers’ roster through the end of August

1. INF Jonathan Ornelas

Acquired via a rare post-trade deadline deal, Ornelas came to Milwaukee on borrowed time. Ornelas was added because the Brewers’ previous infield addition, Bae, who will ultimately be remembered more for his costly misplay at second base in Game 2 of last week’s series against the San Diego Padres, wasn’t cutting it as a temporary replacement. Ornelas, known as Johnny Rockets by Pat Murphy back when he played against the Brewers manager’s son in youth baseball, has appeared in all three games Milwaukee has played since trading for him on Saturday evening. However, now, his time with the Brew Crew is quickly coming to an end.

With Ortiz and Turang back in the lineup and Pratt expected to rejoin the roster for Wednesday night’s game against the Seattle Mariners, Ornelas likely won’t be a Brewer by the end of the day, and almost certainly by the end of the week. Assuming everything went well for Pratt during his rehab start last night, which reportedly, it did, it’s possible Ornelas is designated for assignment in the coming hours.

2. OF Brandon Lockridge

After a promising start to the 2026 season, Brandon Lockridge missed nearly three months after his knee collided with the unpadded portion of the foul-territory wall at American Family Field. During his absence, the Brewers extended outfield prospect Luis Lara and then subsequently called him up to the big leagues. Even after Lockridge’s return to the lineup, Lara has emerged as the clear favorite in regard to playing time.

For Lockridge, his lack of recent playing time indicates that his time with the big leagues could be down to a matter of days. Frelick, who simply needs to string together a few more pain-free games during his rehab assignment, is very close to returning to the Brewers’ roster. Lockridge is the most likely candidate to be squeezed out of a roster spot when Frelick returns, but thankfully, he has minor league options remaining, meaning it will simply be a re-assignment to Triple-A rather than an exposure to waivers for Lockridge.

3. RHP Bryse Wilson

Despite providing value at the back end of the Brewers’ bullpen this season, as well as during his previous stints with the club in 2023 and 2024, Bryse Wilson has already been designated for assignment by Milwaukee this month and could be the first pitcher to go once the bullpen gets healthier.

The first major reinforcement expected back is Romero, who was acquired at the trade deadline. If Romero continues to progress through bullpen sessions and live batting practice, he could begin a rehab assignment as soon as next week. Meanwhile, Abner Uribe, who was placed on the injured list on August 14, retroactive to August 11, has already resumed throwing bullpen sessions. If Uribe returns before the September roster expansion, that would create another scenario where Milwaukee is forced to move on from Wilson.