UPDATED: Brewers option Oliver Dunn to Triple-A Nashville, expected to recall Caleb Durbin

The Brewers are looking to get a spark at third base

The Brewers have optioned Oliver Dunn to Triple-A Nashville. With today’s off day, no corresponding move has yet been announced, but the scuttlebutt is that Caleb Durbin, who was held out of Nashville’s game last night, will be in Milwaukee for the Brewers’ game against the Athletics tomorrow night, barring something unexpected.

Third base has been an area of concern for the Brewers all offseason, and the club’s decision to start the year with two existing internal options hasn’t gone particularly well: Dunn has been hitting just .167/.205/.222 from the left side, while right-handed option Vinny Capra is hitting .097/.125/.194. But Dunn has minor league options and Capra doesn’t, which explains why this move was made like this.

It’s tough luck for Dunn, who knocked in the Brewers’ first run with a squeeze play yesterday. I still think he’s an intriguing player, but he hasn’t been able to get his solid minor league numbers to translate to the majors yet. Hopefully he’ll get his bat going at Triple-A Nashville and make himself an option if the Brewers need one later in the season.

Durbin hasn’t exactly been lighting it up in Nashville, as he’s currently hitting .278/.316/.482, but he’s got some doubles and a couple homers. The bigger concern for the front office is probably Durbin’s defense at third base, but the extra reps there to start the year (he’s played third in eight of 13 appearances so far) seem to have given the club some confidence. The move does leave the Brewers without a left-handed option at third base, but Durbin has actually been significantly better against right-handed pitching as a minor leaguer, so I’d expect him to continue to start regularly against right-handers. He’ll probably play some against lefties as well, but Capra will also likely occasionally get those starts as long as he’s on the team.

Stay tuned for the official announcement from the club, which will likely come tomorrow.

Update: While the team hasn’t officially announced it yet, Adam McCalvy posted that Durbin is, indeed, on his way to Milwaukee.