Brewers Notebook: Vaughn’s Memorable Debut, Peralta Outduels Yamamoto

MILWAUKEE — On Saturday afternoon, Rhys Hoskins was involved in a collision at first base that resulted in a Grade 2 thumb sprain, an injury that later landed him on the 10-day injured list on Monday afternoon.

The corresponding move was the recall of newly-acquired first baseman Andrew Vaughn. Vaughn, who was a part of the trade package that sent Aaron Civale to the Chicago White Sox a few weeks back, was the No. 3 overall selection by the White Sox back in the 2019 MLB draft.

It hasn’t been smooth sailing for Vaughn, as he greatly struggled to establish himself in the South Side. Dating back to the beginning of last season, Vaughn hit just .232 with a .658 OPS in a White Sox uniform. He was even sent down to Triple-A earlier this season before being traded to Milwaukee.

A change of scenery candidate, Vaughn clearly had intrigue as a trade target for the Milwaukee Brewers. Despite the underwhelming results to this point, the Brewers viewed him as a player who perhaps still had some untapped potential.

It didn’t take long for Vaughn to get situated to his new home in Nashville, as he hit a grand slam in his first game as a member of the Sounds. In 132 plate appearances with Milwaukee’s Triple-A affiliate this season, Vaughn posted a .759 OPS to go with five homers and 27 RBI.

He wasn’t expected to be in the plans this early in the season, but Hoskins’ thumb injury has catapulted Vaughn into an immediate and important role on the big-league roster.

But just as he did with Nashville, Vaughn didn’t waste any time making his presence felt in Milwaukee.

Andrew Vaughn Makes a Strong First Impression

To kick off the final week before the 2025 MLB All-Star break, the Brewers started a three-game set against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Monday evening in Milwaukee. The Brewers immediately got Vaughn into action, as he received the start at first base on Monday.

The Brewers made Yamamoto work through the first couple of batters, and Vaughn joined in on the party. In his first plate appearance as a member of the Brewers, Vaughn took a hanging two-strike, two-out slider and sent it 409 feet into the left field bleachers for a monumental three-run home run.

He was the fifth player in franchise history to homer in his first plate appearance with the ball club and the first to do so since Gabe Gross in 2006.

The Brewers would eventually chase Yamamoto from the game after just 0.2 innings and 41 pitches, carrying a 5-0 lead into the second inning.

“Yeah, you definitely black out running around the bases, you know. It was special,” Vaughn said regarding how he remembers his first-inning homer.

When asked about his approach heading into his first plate appearance, Vaughn said, “Have a good at-bat. You know, get a walk, get a hit, just have a good at-bat.”

It’s safe to say that he accomplished just that. His first impression for Brewers fans was a memorable one, and it’s a moment the 27-year-old will never forget.

The Brewers will certainly miss Hoskins’ presence in the lineup, though. When asked about Hoskins’ timeline from David Gasper of Athlon Sports, Murphy stated pregame that it “can be weeks, not days. Hopefully he’s on the shorter end of that weeks.”

While he struggled in June, Hoskins has been a big part of what Milwaukee has accomplished this season. In 318 plate appearances, Hoskins is rocking a 115 wRC+ with 12 homers and 42 RBI, both of which are the third-best marks on the team.

Fortunately with the All-Star break right around the corner, Hoskins will have some extra time for his thumb to heal, hopefully preventing him from missing significant time.

In the meantime, Vaughn will look to continue his momentum and hold down Hoskins’ spot at first base as the Brewers look to close out their first half in strong fashion.

Freddy Peralta Shines In Marquee Matchup

On the other side of the ball, Freddy Peralta won the duel of aces when he faced Yoshinobu Yamamoto on Monday evening.

Peralta acknowledged postgame that facing Yamamoto on the other side heightened the competitiveness heading into the showdown. “I knew that we had Yamamoto on the other side, who is great and, you know, probably one of the best pitchers right now, and I knew that I had to do what I had to do because, you know, he’s great.”

Vaughn’s first-inning homer played an enormous role in throwing Yamamoto out of rhythm early. Had that at-bat gone differently and Yamamoto escaped that first inning unscathed, the rest of the ball game could have looked a lot different.

Fortunately for the Brewers, they continued to put the pressure on the Dodgers’ ace and capitalized when it mattered most. Vaughn simply delivered the biggest blow at the most crucial time.

As for Peralta, he enjoyed the run supported and turned in one of his better outings of the season.

He wasn’t completely untouchable, but Peralta completed six innings of shutout baseball. He only allowed five hits and one walk while striking out seven, a testament to his quality of work against a lethal offense.

Peralta managed to generate a strong Called Strike + Whiff rate (CSW%) of 31% and maintained his effectiveness against a Dodgers lineup that leads the NL in wRC+ and OPS.

When asked about what his game plan was heading into tonight’s matchup, Peralta said, “I want to be myself tonight, just try to execute my pitches. I didn’t try to do too much.”

Making sure he stayed true to what has made him so successful this season was key in this effort. Despite facing some of the best hitters in Major League Baseball, he stuck with his plan that has worked so well for him this season.

“It’s not easy. It’s hard to have a leadoff guy like [Ohtani],” Peralta said when asked about how he was preparing to attack the Dodgers. Specifically, Peralta acknowledged how difficult it would be for him to face such a patient lineup and emphasized the importance of establishing his fastball at the top of the zone early.

Peralta, who holds a 2.74 ERA on the season to go with an NL-best 10 wins, earned the second All-Star bid of his career on Sunday afternoon. It’s his first since the 2021 season, and Murphy acknowledged in his postgame presser that this may be the best version of Peralta that he has ever seen.

“This is his best year, just consistency wise… I know that guy is out there competing, making pitches, he’s in it, he believes in himself. This has been wonderful to watch.”

Peralta is really hitting his stride, especially as of late. Monday was his fifth start in his last seven where he completed six innings, an enormous feat for someone who has often struggled to work deep into games.

“He’s in a good spot right now. Freddy has been good all year, but to see him come and rise to this occasion… this is monumental to just keep going and be this consistent and then this good against this type of lineup.”

Murphy’s high praise of his ace speaks volumes to Peralta’s growth as a pitcher and how valuable he has been this season. He’s been tremendously important to this organization throughout the course of his Brewers career, but this season has been particularly special.