2019 Missions at Milwaukee Brewers’ big league spring training

Miguel Sanchez pitching for the Missions at Wolff Stadium. - photo by Joe Alexander
Miguel Sanchez pitching for the San Antonio Missions at Wolff Stadium during the summer of 2019.
The San Antonio Missions were the Triple-A farm club of the Milwaukee Brewers during the 2019 season. These players were in uniform for the Missions two summers ago and went to the Brewers’ big league camp for 2021 spring training:

PITCHERS
No. Player

50 Ray Black
66 Zack Brown
39 Corbin Burnes
37 Adrian Houser
64 Thomas Jankins
47 Angel Perdomo
70 Miguel Sanchez
35 Brent Suter
38 Devin Williams

CATCHERS
No. Player

26 Jacob Nottingham

INFIELDERS
No. Player

18 Keston Hiura
21 Travis Shaw

OUTFIELDERS
No. Player

78 Corey Ray
15 Tyrone Taylor

* 2019 Missions manager Rick Sweet is listed as an instructor

Tyrone Taylor playing for the San Antonio Missions at Wolff Stadium during the 2019 season. - photo by Joe Alexander
Tyrone Taylor playing for the Missions at Wolff Stadium during the 2019 season

Missions player possibilities for 2020

Missions outfielder Tyrone Taylor chases down a fly ball at Wolff Stadium last summer. - photo by Joe Alexander
Missions outfielder Tyrone Taylor chases down a fly ball at Wolff Stadium last summer.
If and when the 2020 major league and Triple-A seasons get underway, here is a look at who might be playing for the San Antonio Missions:

These Milwaukee Brewers transactions from March list players the big club sent to San Antonio:

Brewers optioned 3B Ryon Healy to Missions.
Brewers optioned 2B Mark Mathias to Missions.
Brewers optioned SS Ronny Rodriguez to Missions.
Brewers optioned C David Freitas to Missions.
Brewers optioned CF Corey Ray to Missions.
Brewers optioned RHP Trey Supak to Missions.

The following players have minor-league contracts with the Brewers and were invited to spring training with the big club. They could end up in San Antonio and include six of last season’s Missions:

LHP Clayton Andrews
RHP Zack Brown
3B Andres Blanco
3B Lucas Erceg
C Payton Henry
RHP Thomas Jankins
RHP Mike Morin
C Mario Feliciano
RHP Drew Rasmussen
RHP Miguel Sanchez
LHP Ethan Small
RHP Aaron Wilkerson
1B Logan Morrison
C Tuffy Gosewisch

Other 2019 Missions who were in the Brewers’ minor league spring training were:

P Bubba Derby
C Skyler Ewing

Outfielder Tyrone Taylor had his 2019 season with the injured slowed by injuries. He is on the Brewers’ 40-man roster by wasn’t playing in spring training while he recovered from surgery.

Update on Friday, Feb. 27, 2020:

The Milwaukee Brewers optioned the following players to the San Antonio Missions:
C Jacob Nottingham
LHP Angel Perdomo
RHP Bobby Wahl
RHP Eric Yardley

Closeups of the 2019 San Antonio Missions

San Antonio Missions catcher/first baseman David Freitas won the Pacific Coast League batting title. - photo by Joe Alexander
San Antonio Missions catcher/first baseman David Freitas won the Pacific Coast League batting title. – photo by Joe Alexander
Even front row seats are a long way from some positions on a baseball field.

During the course of the 2019 San Antonio Missions season, I occasionally got closer a look at some of the players.

That seemed like a good way to wrap up my summer from Wolff Stadium.

Trent Grisham, Hernan Perez power Missions past River Cats in series opener

Hernan Perez (left) and David Freitas celebrate after Perez's fifth-inning home run. The San Antonio Missions to beat the Sacramento River Cats 8-4 Tuesday at Wolff Stadium. - photo by Joe Alexander
Hernan Perez (left) and David Freitas celebrate after Perez’s fifth-inning home run. The Missions beat the Sacramento River Cats 8-4 Tuesday at Wolff Stadium. – photo by Joe Alexander
The San Antonio Missions had 12 hits including three home runs to beat the Sacramento River Cats 8-4 Tuesday at Wolff Stadium.

Trent Grisham homered twice and hit for the cycle and Hernan Perez had two hits including a home run. Grisham has 13 home runs since moving up from Double-A on June 20. Perez had five home runs in the last eight games.

David Freitas had two hits, walked once and scored twice.

Corbin Burnes started on the mound for the Missions and went two innings. The plan is for him to get reliever type innings, so the short was expected.

Thomas Jankins, usually a starter, had the longest stint on the mound. Jankins (10-3) went five innings and allowed three runs on five hits with four strikeouts and two walks to earn the win.

Alex Wilson and Angel Perdomo pitched one inning each to finish the game.

Lucas Erceg, Blake Allemand help Missions blow away Storm Chasers

Missions pitcher Thomas Jankins is 7-0 in his last nine starts after getting the win against the Storm Chasers on Saturday at Wolff Stadium. - photo by Joe Alexander
Missions pitcher Thomas Jankins is 7-0 in his last nine starts after getting the win against the Storm Chasers on Saturday at Wolff Stadium. – photo by Joe Alexander
Lucas Erceg and Blake Allemand homered and Thomas Jankins pitched seven strong innings as the San Antonio Missions beat the Omaha Storm Chasers 8-2 on Saturday at Wolff Stadium.

Erceg hit his 12th home run of the season, a solo shot in the second inning. Allemand hit a three-run homer in the 8th inning, his third blast of the season.

Jankins (9-2) gave up one earned run on eight hits with seven strikeouts and no walks. He lowered his season ERA to 3.39. Jankins has seven wins and two no-decisions in his last nine starts.

The Missions' Lucas Erceg celebrates his second-inning home run with third base coach Ned Yoast IV on Saturday at Wolff Stadium. - photo by Joe Alexander
The Missions’ Lucas Erceg celebrates his second-inning home run with third base coach Ned Yoast IV on Saturday at Wolff Stadium. – photo by Joe Alexander
The Missions' Blake Allemand is congratulated at home plate by Jacob Nottingham (right) and Cory Spangenberg after Allemand's eighth-inning home run on Saturday at Wolff Stadium. - photo by Joe Alexander
The Missions’ Blake Allemand is congratulated at home plate by Jacob Nottingham (right) and Cory Spangenberg after Allemand’s eighth-inning home run on Saturday at Wolff Stadium. – photo by Joe Alexander

Erceg, Dubon, Spangenberg, Allemand homer to power Missions past Cubs

The San Antonio Missions' Blake Allemand hit his second home run of the season Sunday at Wolff Stadium, a solo shot in the seventh inning. - photo by Joe Alexander
The San Antonio Missions’ Blake Allemand hit his second home run of the season Sunday at Wolff Stadium, a solo shot in the seventh inning. – photo by Joe Alexander
The San Antonio Missions hit four home runs including back-to-back shots by Mauricio Dubon and Cory Spangenberg to beat the Iowa Cubs 10-2 Sunday at Wolff Stadium.

Iowa scored one run in the top of the first to lead briefly but only scored one run the rest of the way.

Missions starting pitcher Thomas Jankins, who picked up the win, also drove in San Antonio’s first run with a line drive to left in the third inning. Jankins and Trent Grisham scored later in the inning and the Missions had all the runs it turned out they needed.

Lucas Erceg hit his 11th home run of the season, a two-run blast in the fourth to make it 5-2.

Dubon hit his 12th home run of the season and Spangenberg hit his seventh back-to-back in the fifth inning.

Blake Allemand added his second home run of the season in the seventh inning.

The Missions finished with 11 hits.

Jankins (8-2) pitched six innings and gave up two runs on seven hits with four strikeouts and one walk.

Jon Olczak, who was activated off the injured list earlier in the day, pitched two innings and Donnie Hart pitched the ninth to finish the game for the Missions.

The San Antonio Missions' Lucas Erceg hit his 11th home run of the season Sunday at Wolff Stadium, a two-run shot in the fourth inning. - photo by Joe Alexander
The San Antonio Missions’ Lucas Erceg hit his 11th home run of the season Sunday at Wolff Stadium, a two-run shot in the fourth inning. – photo by Joe Alexander
The San Antonio Missions' Mauricio Dubon hit his 12th home run of the season Sunday at Wolff Stadium, a solo shot in the fifth inning. - photo by Joe Alexander
The San Antonio Missions’ Mauricio Dubon hit his 12th home run of the season Sunday at Wolff Stadium, a solo shot in the fifth inning. – photo by Joe Alexander
The San Antonio Missions' Cory Spangenberg hit his seventh home run of the season Sunday at Wolff Stadium, a solo shot in the fifth inning. - photo by Joe Alexander
The San Antonio Missions’ Cory Spangenberg hit his seventh home run of the season Sunday at Wolff Stadium, a solo shot in the fifth inning. – photo by Joe Alexander

Missions split series with Storm Chasers; Brewers announce roster moves

Travis Shaw batting for the San Antonio Missions on Sunday at Wolff Stadium in his final game before returning to the Milwaukee Brewers. - photo by Joe Alexander
Travis Shaw batting for the Missions at Wolff Stadium in his final game before returning to the Brewers. – photo by Joe Alexander
The San Antonio Missions beat the Omaha Storm Chasers 8-3 Sunday at Wolff Stadium to earn a split of the four-game series.

The game marked the final appearance in a Missions uniform for the Milwaukee Brewers’ Travis Shaw. He was rehabbing from an injury.

Shaw was 1-of-2 and walked while batting second as the designated hitter. Shaw played in 10 games with San Antonio and batted .235 with one home run.

David Freitas, Troy Stokes Jr. and Jake Hager had two RBIs each for the Missions on Sunday.

Missions starting pitcher Thomas Jankins (4-2) got the win. He went five innings and gave up two earned runs on eight hits with three strikeouts and no walks.

Roster moves

Missions right-handed pitcher Jacob Barnes was called up by the Brewers.

Missions right-handed pitcher Taylor Williams was called up by the Brewers.

Catcher Jacob Nottingham has been optioned from the Brewers back to the Missions.

Missions’ Freitas, Dubon, Saladino homer against Baby Cakes

The Missions' David Freitas hits his first home run of the season against the New Orleans Baby Cakes on Thursday at Wolff Stadium. - photo by Joe Alexander
The Missions’ David Freitas hits his first home run of the season. – photo by Joe Alexander
Mauricio Dubon, David Freitas and Tyler Saladino homered to give the San Antonio Missions a 5-4 victory over the New Orleans Baby Cakes on Thursday at Wolff Stadium.

Dubon hit his third home run of the season in the bottom of the first inning for the first run of the game.

Freitas, who leads the Missions in hitting with a .359 average, hit his first homer of the season in the second inning. That gave the Missions a 2-0 lead.

The Missions' Mauricio Dubon homers against the New Orleans Baby Cakes on Thursday at Wolff Stadium. - photo by Joe Alexander
The Missions’ Mauricio Dubon homers against the New Orleans Baby Cakes on Thursday at Wolff Stadium. – photo by Joe Alexander

Tyler Saladino added a massive two-run homer in the fifth inning. It was a 476-foot shot over the big wall in straightaway center field.

The Missions' Tyler Saladino batting against the New Orleans Baby Cakes on Thursday at Wolff Stadium. - photo by Joe Alexander
The Missions’ Tyler Saladino batting against the New Orleans Baby Cakes on Thursday at Wolff Stadium. – photo by Joe Alexander

Missions starting pitcher Thomas Jankins (2-1) got the win. He went six innings and allowed two unearned runs on four hits with three strikeouts and one walk. He also had an RBI single in the fourth inning.

Missions pitcher Thomas Jankins got the win against New Orleans Baby Cakes on Thursday at Wolff Stadium. - photo by Joe Alexander
Missions pitcher Thomas Jankins got the win against New Orleans Baby Cakes on Thursday at Wolff Stadium. – photo by Joe Alexander

Missions fall to Dodgers in series finale

Oklahoma City's Matt Beaty (right) is greeted at the plate after hitting a third-inning home run against San Antonio on Sunday at Wolff Stadium. - photo by Joe Alexander
Oklahoma City’s Matt Beaty (right) is greated at the plate after hitting a third-inning home run. – photo by Joe Alexander
Oklahoma City’s Matt Beaty hit a three-run homer in the third inning and the Dodgers beat the San Antonio Missions 4-1 Sunday at Wolff Stadium.

The meeting was the finale of a five-game series and snapped the Missions’ six-game win streak.

Dodgers starting pitcher Daniel Corcino (2-1) pitched 5 1/3 innings for the win. Missions starter Thomas Jankins (1-1) pitched five innings, gave up the homer to Beaty, and took the loss.