Lorenzo

Cain

Ned Yost, Alex Gordon and Rusty Kuntz will also be on hand for the occasion. Cain, a two-time All-Star and former Gold Glove Award winner, spent seven seasons with the Royals and won a World Series as the club’s spark plug in 2015. The 36-year-old finished third in the AL MVP Award that season after slashing .307/.361/.477 with 16 homers and 28 steals while playing excellent defense in center field. Cain also played six seasons with the Brewers, including 43 games last year.

McCullough adds that Cain had opportunities to play last summer after being released by the Brewers, but opted to stay home with his family instead. The 36-year-old two-time All-Star selection spent seven years with Kansas City and was a key component of the organization’s World Series title run back in 2015. His playing career is over after 13 seasons in the majors since 2010.

Cain was designated for assignment by Milwaukee on Saturday and unsurprisingly passed through waivers unclaimed given that he’s making an $18 million salary this year. Now that he is a free agent and able to be signed for the MLB minimum, the veteran outfielder should pretty quickly find a new team. Cain, 36, reached 10 years of service time just before the Brew Crew cut him loose.

On the exact day in which he reached 10 years of major league service time, Cain’s tenure with the Brewers appears to be at an end. The 36-year-old former All-Star has struggled mightily this season in the final season of a five-year, $80 million contract, slashing 179/.231/.234 with one homer and two steals across 156 plate appearances. There’s a strong possibility that he clears waivers and is released in the near future.

The Brewers scored eight runs today even though the top four hitters in their lineup combined to go 1-for-19. Rowdy Tellez, Tyrone Taylor, Omar Narvaez, Cain and Jace Peterson combined to go 12-for-19 with three homers and all eight runs scored and RBI. It was easily the best game so far this season for Cain, who came in hitting .178/.246/.215 with four RBI in 118 plate appearances. He drove in three runs today.

Cain has been sitting out quite a bit in recent weeks, but that should change with Hunter Renfroe on the IL and it’d be nice if he could step it up some. He’s still playing quality defense in center, but he’s hitting just .180/.245/.210 in 110 plate appearances.

Cain has been getting a lot of days off in the early going and has struggled to get in a rhythm offensively. He’s past his days of being helpful in mixed leagues anyway, but if he continues to slump, it could open the door for Tyrone Taylor to take over in center field.

Renfroe and Cain are back in right field and center field, respectively, for the Brewers on Monday night and will face off against righty Zach Thompson. The tandem got the afternoon off during Sunday’s series finale against the Cardinals.

The veteran outfielder continues to receive regular days of rest in an effort to keep him healthy for the duration of the season. Tyrone Taylor will start in his stead on Friday night and will bat eighth against Miles Mikolas and the Cardinals.

The quartet got the night off Monday with lefty Bruce Zimmerman on the mound for the Orioles, but they’re back in there on Tuesday evening to square off against righty Spenser Watkins.