By Adam McCavy / MLB.com

MILWAUKEE -- The Prince Fielder experiment could continue until the All-Star break.

Brewers manager Ned Yost hinted as much on Thursday, saying that third baseman Russell Branyan is at least a week to 10 days from going on a Minor League rehabilitation assignment.

Branyan, who is on the disabled list with a fractured right middle finger, played catch on Thursday morning and has been hitting off a tee, but even if he progresses quickly the team might wait to activate him until the start of the second half.

Barring other roster movement, that means an extended opportunity for Fielder, who, like Branyan, serves as a left-handed power bat for Yost. The Brewers originally called up the 21-year-old to serve as the designated hitter in Interleague Play at Tampa Bay and Toronto before returning to Triple-A Nashville to play every day.

That plan has changed, and the Brewers are convinced that a few weeks on the bench is not going to hamper Fielder's development.

"I've always believed that if you are around teachers -- and there's no doubt, we have a teaching staff -- that you will develop," said Brewers infield coach Rich Dauer. "Now, there's nothing better than live play. But Ned works the system really well where everybody gets their opportunities."

Fielder, a first baseman, is second on the depth chart behind Lyle Overbay and has seen limited opportunities so far. He appeared in seven of the Brewers' first nine games since the June 13 callup and batted .227 (5-for-22). Three of his five hits have been doubles.

The son of former All-Star Cecil Fielder, the Brewers are certain that Fielder will hit. But he has room for improvement defensively, though Dauer and others say the 6-foot, 260-pound tank is better than most expect.

"When he makes an error it looks bad because he's so big," Dauer said. "Automatically, he gets labeled a bad defensive player. But the guy's an athlete; he can run, he's got good footwork and there's no reason he can't be a good defensive player. Until I see otherwise, that's what I'm going with."

Fielder and fellow callup Rickie Weeks have been out for early work with Dauer almost every day. On Wednesday, Fielder was positioned at third base so he could work on his throwing mechanics while Weeks practiced double plays. On Tuesday, Dauer hit about 50 balls at Fielder's feet to simulate throws in the dirt.

Yost quickly declined the notion that Fielder is out of shape.

"He's not going to have a 34-inch waist," Yost said. "He's a stocky kid, but he's not fat and he's not out of shape. He's just strong."

Right stuff:

Left-handed hitters Lyle Overbay (a .211 hitter this year against lefties) and Geoff Jenkins (.203 against lefties) were on the bench. Jenkins is hitting .148 this month and his average dipped back to .231 with an 0-for-4 performance in Wednesday's win.

"He just hasn't found that tempo yet," Yost said.

He's an All-Star: Nashville infielder Trent Durrington was named to the Pacific Coast League All-Star team and will represent the Sounds in the Triple-A All-Star Game on July 13. He was selected to the team as a reserve by the PCL office and will make the first All-Star appearance of his 13-year professional career.

Durrington, 29, was batting .290 with four home runs and 24 RBIs in a team-high 70 games and has started games at six different positions for Nashville (first base, second base, third base, shortstop, left field and right field). He ranks third among PCL batters with 20 stolen bases and is tied for fourth among all Minor League hitters with 11 sacrifice bunts.

Statistically speaking: Bill Hall entered play Thursday with eight doubles in June, trailing only the Cubs' Derrek Lee and the Orioles' Miguel Tejada (11) and the Devil Rays' Jorge Cantu and the Indians' Grady Sizemore (nine). ... Carlos Lee had 34 RBIs in his last 33 games against the Cubs. With 64 RBIs through Wednesday, he led the Majors and moved into the Brewers' all-time top 10 for RBIs before the break. Greg Vaughn set the club record with 75 RBIs before the 1996 All-Star Game.

On deck: The Brewers return to Interleague Play for the last time in 2005 when they host the Minnesota Twins beginning Friday night. Lefty Chris Capuano will pitch the series opener against Twins veteran and Wisconsin native Brad Radke. Capuano, who won his last start at Toronto, did not face the Twins when the Brewers traveled to Minnesota in May.

Tickets are available for all three games, though Saturday is a near sellout.

Adam McCalvy is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

 
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