Reliever Enoli Paredes finally gets the call he was awaiting from the Brewers

BOSTON – With the way Enoli Paredes was throwing the ball at Class AAA Nashville, it was really only a matter of time before he received the call to join the Milwaukee Brewers.

But until he did – the right-hander's contract was selected Friday in advance of the Brewers' interleague opener against the Red Sox at Fenway Park – Paredes couldn't help but wonder why it hadn't already happened.

"As a player that's always going to come to your mind," said the 28-year-old, who was 2-0 with a 1.31 ERA and WHIP of 0.97 and 34 strikeouts in 20 ⅔ innings over 18 appearances. He limited opposing batters to a collective .153 average.

"If they say no, they're lying to you," he continued. "When you're pitching good and you've been in the big leagues before, you always want to be back in the big leagues. But I was talking with my dad. He was the one always helping me with that situation, not to think about when the call is going to come.

"He told me, 'Focus on your game day by day, and control what you can control.'"

Paredes signed a minor-league deal with an invitation to major-league spring training last November, with the Brewers liking his high-octane arm as well as the fact he'd had several stints in the majors with the Houston Astros from 2020-2022.

The high point for Paredes was pitching in seven postseason games in 2020, with five scoreless appearances to his credit. He ultimately chose free agency following last year when he pitched 52 games for Class AAA Sugar Land but was unable to break back into the majors with the Astros.

"When I hit free agency, after you come from a team that's always in the postseason, if you want to get out of there you want to be on a team that's going to be in the postseason, too," Paredes said. "I saw a big opportunity coming to the Brewers. A lot of young guys, guys that are hungry. That made me come to the Brewers organization."

Paredes served as Nashville's closer and was 5 for 6 in save opportunities. He allowed a total of three earned runs which came in two appearances.

"Most of the time I was the closer," Paredes said. "But it's my mentality. I wasn't thinking about being the closer. When I get the opportunity to be on the mound I want to be the best that I can and help the team to win."

Paredes becomes the 41st player to appear on Milwaukee's active roster already this season, and the 24th pitcher.

"He brings great energy," said manager Pat Murphy. "He's a great guy. He's been here before. He's thrown the ball great (in Nashville) from what I've been told. Threw the ball well in spring training. It was kind of a roster glitch; he wasn't on the 40-man, and those spots are valuable.

"But because he doesn't have any options, you want to pick a good spot for him. He's going to bring a lot."

With the Brewers, expect Paredes to be deployed in any number of circumstances. He has had reverse splits in his 37 major-league games, with left-handed hitters batting .186 with a .544 OPS against him compared to .279/.852 for right-handers.

"I want to be the best in any opportunity that I can get," he said. "It doesn't matter if it's in the first inning or the second; I just have to be ready when they need me. I'm here to help the team to win."

Blalock, 23, was recalled from Biloxi on Monday in Miami in case the Brewers needed length out of the bullpen. He didn't appear in any of the Brewers' three games there.

He missed out on a chance to pitch against the team that drafted him out of high school in the 32nd round in 2019 in Boston.

And, in something of a strange twist, the player that Brewers traded to the Red Sox for Blalock last Aug. 1, Luis Urías, was also optioned to the minor leagues on Friday by his current team, the Seattle Mariners.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Enoli Paredes finally gets the call he was awaiting from the Brewers