23 Keon Broxton CF

Broxton is 9-for-23 (.391) with three home runs and four RBI through six games with Triple-A Colorado Springs.

Broxton's fast start with Colorado Springs does not come as much of a surprise, given that he now owns a .308/.390/.586 slash line over 60 career games with the team. He is doing all he can to earn a trip back to the big leagues, but he did not get the call with both Christian Yelich (oblique) and Lorenzo Cain (quad) and both players are now nearing a return, so it looks like he will have to continue biding his time in Colorado for the time being.

Broxton was optioned to Triple-A Colorado Springs on Saturday, Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

With one minor-league option remaining on his deal, the Brewers decided to send Broxton back to Triple-A to open the 2018 season. Though this is slightly surprising news considering he appeared in 143 games for the team last year, the additions of Christian Yelich and Lorenzo Cain made Broxton expendable.

Broxton is 6-for-33 (.182) with a home run and 5:16 BB:K through 13 exhibition games in March.

Broxton came out of the gate hot this spring with three hits over his first seven at-bats, but he has recorded a total of only six hits since. He remains in contention to break camp with Brewers, but given his struggles at the plate of late, the team could certainly decide to take advantage of his remaining option and assign him to Triple-A to begin the year.

Broxton went 1-for-2 with a solo home run, a walk, a stolen base and two runs scored in Saturday's 6-5 loss to the Angels in Cactus League play.

Broxton put his power/speed combination on full display Saturday, taking highly touted Angels rookie Shohei Ohtani deep in the second inning and then stealing a base off the battery of Blake Wood and Martin Maldonado later in the contest. Though Broxton was one of only nine players to finish with 20-plus steals and home runs last season, a horrid 37.8 percent strikeout rate sank his batting average and prompted the Brewers to upgrade their outfield in the offseason. With some combination of Christian Yelich, Lorenzo Cain, Ryan Braun and Domingo Santana tentatively in line to fill out the Milwaukee outfield on a regular basis this season, Broxton may end up seeing most of his work as a late-inning defensive replacement or pinch runner, if he evens make the Opening Day roster.

Broxton is out of the lineup Friday against Chicago.

Broxton retreats to the bench yet again while Brett Phillips earns another start in center. With right-handers on the mound, it seems as though Broxton will always give way to Phillips in the starting lineup, and there is another one in Kyle Hendricks on tap for Saturday's affair.