The Milwaukee Brewers called up MLB Pipeline's No. 67 prospect on Tuesday, and he impressed in Game 2 of their doubleheader against the St. Louis Cardinals.
Lara got the start in the nightcap of the doubleheader and was hitting second. His first at-bat ended in a groundout to the shortstop, but the fact that he was able to work a seven-pitch at-bat is part of the reason why he fits the Brewers. Their offense thrives on patience at the plate and forcing pitchers to throw more pitches.
In the third inning, Lara swung at the first pitch he saw and was robbed of his first career hit by Jordan Walker, who made a diving grab on a sinking liner. However, the night was just beginning for Lara. He came to the plae with the bases loaded and two outs, with the Brewers holding on to a 1-0 lead, in the fifth inning.
Lara saw four pitches before hitting a single to right field, bringing in two runs. He would come up to hit again in the seventh inning and draw a walk. Brice Turang doubled into the right-center gap, and Lara showed off his speed.
He scored from first base and showed everyone why he has a 60-grade run tool. The Brewers signed him to a seven-year, $31 million deal in June, before he ever played a big league game. They clearly beleive in him, and will have to find a way to get him regular at-bats. He had a .321/.432/.470 slash line with nine home runs in Triple-A. It was clear he needed to move up.
The Brewers' outfield is suddenly too crowded, however. Garrett Mitchell has proven he can play against both lefties and righties, and is the team's hottest hitter. Sal Frelick got off to a slow start, but he plays Gold Glove defense and had a phenomenal month of June at the plate, looking more like the hitter he was last year. Jackson Chourio is one of the best young players in baseball and will play every day. With Christian Yelich as the everyday designated hitter, someone will have to lose at-bats to get Lara in the game.