Brewers promote Phillips for MLB debut

Brett Phillips is leaving the high altitude, but he still might be on Cloud Nine.
The Brewers have recalled their No. 10 prospect from Triple-A Colorado Springs to make his Major League debut, the club announced on Twitter. The move comes after third baseman Travis Shaw was placed on the paternity list.

Because of the corresponding move involving Shaw, it's not likely that Phillips will last long with the big club, but he's done enough with the Sky Sox to earn his first taste of the Majors. He was hitting .297/.369/.589 with 11 homers, four triples and 10 doubles over 49 games before earning the call Monday. His .957 OPS ranks fifth in the Pacific Coast League and leads a loaded Colorado Springs roster that also features Lewis Brinson and Ryan Cordell.
Tweet from @Brewers: Welcome to The Show, @Brett_Phillips8, who was recalled from Triple-A @skysox today to make his @MLB debut! pic.twitter.com/yCkxytclJd
That figure is somewhat fueled by the thin air of Colorado Springs, where Phillips owns a .312/.393/.662 line with seven homers in 22 games. But his .286/.349/.531 line in 27 road contests is solid and represents a significant improvement from his overall numbers last year.
The 23-year-old outfielder, once ranked among MLB.com's top 100 overall prospects, joined the Brewers organization on July 30, 2015, in a trade that sent Carlos Gómez and Mike Fiers to the Astros. Phillips struggled in 2016 at Double-A Biloxi, hitting .229/.332/.397 with 16 homers and 154 strikeouts in 124 games. Back in April, the left-handed slugger admitted that he tried too hard to take advantage of a unique wind situation in Biloxi, causing the drop in performance. After Phillips' second trip to the Arizona Fall League, the Brewers overlooked those Double-A struggles and added the 2012 sixth-rounder to their 40-man roster last November. 

"It's exciting because it's the biggest accomplishment in my career so far," Phillips told MiLB.com in April about his roster spot. "They believe I can help win ballgames, and that means a whole lot to me. The whole process has been great since then. The thing now is I have to stay within who I am. I have to be Brett Phillips. They put me on the 40-man because of the player I can be, not who I feel I should be or anything like that."
Phillips joins the Brewers as they continue to surprise by leading the National League Central with a 30-27 record, one game ahead of the Cubs. He should help an outfield situation that took a hit two weeks ago when Ryan Braun went on the disabled list with a left calf strain. Hernán Pérez, Eric Thames and Nick Franklin have all played left field in Braun's absence, but Phillips gives Milwaukee a more natural option there. He's appeared in all three outfield spots in Triple-A this season and has the range and arm to play anywhere on the grass.