Domingo Santana Brewers trade spring training

PEORIA, Ariz. — Domingo Santana made the most of the only Spring Training meeting between his new team and his old one.

PEORIA, Ariz. — Domingo Santana made the most of the only Spring Training meeting between his new team and his old one.

After two years of trade rumors, the Brewers dealt Santana to Seattle in December for another outfielder, Ben Gamel, who was attractive as a left-handed bat to pair with Ryan Braun in left field, and because Gamel has a Minor League option remaining.

Santana is out of options. The Mariners plan to use him as their left fielder and occasional designated hitter, and he showed why Friday, when he connected against Corbin Burnes for a long solo homer in Seattle’s four-run second inning on the way to a 7-3 win over Milwaukee.

“I didn’t want to leave, but I knew I had a lot of opportunity,” Santana said. “For my baseball career, it was a better choice. I miss the Brewers and the guys, but you’ve got to keep it moving.”

Santana smacked 30 home runs with an .875 OPS as the Brewers’ right fielder in 2017, but faced an uncertain role heading into ’18 after the Brewers traded for Christian Yelich and signed Lorenzo Cain. Santana did not handle it well, slipping to five home runs and a .740 OPS in 235 plate appearances during a season shortened by a midseason demotion to Triple-A.

He did thrive off the bench following a September call-up, going 8-for-18 as a pinch-hitter in September during the Brewers’ drive to the National League Central crown.

“He was a huge part of last year, man. We don’t win the division without Domingo,” Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. “No chance. He had a huge September. It wasn’t in a primary role, but he had a number of hits that were — we do not win the division without Domingo Santana. And he had big hits in the playoffs, too.”

Santana was reflective about what led to his early-season slump.

“I got out of [the mindset] of ‘this is a kid’s game’,” he said. “I was putting too much pressure because I knew it was a really great group of guys, and I had to be as ‘high’ as they are. I put so much pressure on myself. I think that was the reason everything fell down.

“Eventually, it was a great experience. I came back and enjoyed everything after that. It was awesome to come back in a winning environment.”

Wahl hurt, Burnes knocked around

Bullpen candidate Bobby Wahl walked off the mound in the fourth inning with a right lower leg injury after yielding a sacrifice fly to Mitch Haniger that gave Seattle a 6-0 lead.

The Brewers acquired Wahl, 26, in a January trade that sent outfielder Keon Broxton to the Mets. Wahl was shut down late last year with a right hamstring injury but early indications are that this is more related to his knee or calf.

“It was serious enough that we think we need to get an MRI done,” Counsell said.

Burnes started the game for the Brewers and was unable to complete two innings. Working on his sinker, a new pitch for Burnes as he transitions back to a starting role, he surrendered solo home runs to Haniger and Santana, the latter coming in a four-run second inning for Seattle.

“The results, you try to push that to the side,” Burnes said. “I did a lot of good things today. The sinker was really good. That was the main focus going into today; let’s throw that sinker and see how it played against their right-handed guys. I got a couple weak contacts and a strikeout with it.”

The Brewers’ runs came via solo home runs from Cory Spangenberg, Hernan Perez and former first-round Draft pick Trent Grisham, who is 4-for-9 so far in Cactus League games on loan from Minor League camp.

“He’s had a really good spring so far,” Counsell said. “Little bit of a down year last year, and this is a really big season for Trent. He’s fallen behind these guys a little bit.”

Last call
After a pause from throwing last weekend because of forearm discomfort or fatigue, Brewers right-hander Jimmy Nelson was back on the mound Friday for a bullpen session that “went great,” according to Counsell. Nelson will progress to the next step and throw live batting practice early next week. Live BP is typically the final step for pitchers before working in games.

Infield prospect Mauricio Dubon was feeling “much, much better” as of Friday morning, Counsell said, after spending several days in the hospital undergoing tests for a stomach ailment. The team was hopeful that Dubon, Milwaukee’s No. 5 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, would be back in camp in the coming days.

Up next
While Jhoulys Chacin gets his work in the more controlled environment of a Minor League game Saturday, Chase Anderson and Zach Davies are scheduled to pitch against the Cubs in Mesa, Ariz. Anderson gets the start in the 2 p.m. CT game, which can be seen on MLB.TV or heard on 620-AM WTMJ and the Brewers Radio Network.