There are few things that the Milwaukee Brewers haven’t done right so far in 2026.

Milwaukee has navigated difficult injuries all season and yet it is 49-29 and has the second-best record in baseball behind the Los Angeles Dodgers (52-29) heading into an important series against the Chicago Cubs. How many teams out there could accomplish this feat when guys like Andrew Vaughn Christian Yelich, Quinn Priester, Jackson Chourio, and Brandon Woodruff all missed significant time at various points in the season? These are legit, star-level pieces and the Brewers navigated the losses admirably.

Right now, all of them are healthy, except Priester. The young starter will miss the entire season. Now, Milwaukee is firing on all cylinders and yet it could be even better. Soon enough, Logan Henderson will be back. Also, the offense would arguably be even better if Vaughn was given more opportunities. Since May 4, Vaughn is only eighth on the team in plate appearances, per Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Despite this, Vaughn has done nothing but tear the cover off the ball. In 39 games, he has slashed .355/.444/.542 with a .987 OPS, two homers, 12 doubles, and 23 RBIs. That’s the type of production you need in the lineup every night, regardless.

The Brewers Need To Give Andrew Vaughn More Time

Brewers manager Pat Murphy acknowledged that Vaughn has had a weakness with some righties, as transcribed by Hogg.

“Heavy east-west sometimes is more troublesome for him,” Murphy said. “But for him this year you can look at it and go, ‘Yeah, against the two-seamer he’s been [worse]. But what about the times against the two-samer that he took it and got something else? You don’t get credit for being good against the two-seamer when you take it. You only get dinged when you swing at it.”

Still, this is a guy batting .355 since May 4. He’s obviously not perfect, but Milwaukee’s offense is better with him in it. Even if the club has to get creative. Jake Bauers has made his mark this season and needs playing time as well and both play first base, among others. Throughout Vaughn’s career, he has seen time at third base, second base, left field and right field, along with first base. Throughout the season to this point, there’s been chatter about how the Brewers haven’t had enough offense on the left side of the infield.

They recently promoted Cooper Pratt to play shortstop, so third base has been handled by David Hamilton and Joey Ortiz. Maybe a good idea could be trying to shift Vaughn to third base for the time being because they could then get his bat and Bauers’ bat in the lineup consistently. In that scenario, the Brewers could also consistently roll with an outfield of Chourio in left field, Garrett Mitchell in center field, and Sal Frelick in right field.

At the end of the day, the Brewers need Vaughn’s bat in the lineup every day. If you can bat .355 over a 39-game stretch, you deserve significant playing time.

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The Blueprint

A team led by Lupe Development Partners and Wall Cos. wants to bring more than 100 units of affordable senior housing to a triangular parking area near the Mississippi River in Minneapolis, the latest version of a yearslong effort to redevelop the site.

On Thursday, the Minneapolis Planning Commission Committee of the Whole reviewed plans for the five-story, 104-unit building at 600 Main St. SE. The project would require a comprehensive plan amendment, rezoning and other approvals.

Jess Olstad, a city spokesperson, said in an email that the committee took no formal action.

“The next step for the project team will be to conduct public engagement around their potential comprehensive plan amendment, and to prepare their land use applications for submittal,” Olstad said.

Steve Minn, vice president and chief financial manager of Lupe Development, said Friday that the project received “very positive feedback” from the committee.

“We’re just going to proceed with the rest of our application, which will be in the next week or so,” said Minn, who added that the proposed location is a “perfect site for housing” and that “senior housing is a need.”

A comprehensive plan amendment would require Metropolitan Council review. If the approval process goes well and financing comes together next year, the project could break ground in 2028, Minn said.

A 58-space “principal parking facility” currently occupies the 37,401-square-foot development site, which is framed by Sixth Avenue Southeast, Main Street Southeast, and a railroad property, according to a city staff report.

The project would primarily offer one-bedroom units, though the mix would also include some two-bedroom dwellings and efficiencies. Thirty-nine stalls of underground parking are also planned.

Located near the Stone Arch Bridge trailhead in the Mississippi River Critical Area Overlay District, the project would be “compatible with the surrounding neighborhood architecture,” according to a narrative submitted on behalf of the developer.

The plan includes site improvements such as structured parking and pedestrian spaces, and a new public trail, which would connect to existing Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board trails in Father Hennepin Bluffs Park.

According to the developer’s narrative, the project “represents a reinvestment in a privately owned, undeveloped parcel that is not used for park purposes and is not planned for acquisition.”

The project would align the property’s “land use, built form, and Mississippi River Corridor Critical Area Overlay District designations with the surrounding urban context and applicable regulatory framework,” the narrative states.

Wall Cos. and Lupe Development Partners, doing business as Bluff Street Development, have long wanted to redevelop 600 Main St. SE. In 2023, the developers pitched a plan for 80 affordable housing units on the site.

The developers’ history with the site goes back as far as 2009, when they proposed separate plans for a 98-unit and a 79-unit apartment project, as previously reported. In 2010, Bluff Street sued the city after the City Council rejected the plans. The lawsuit was dismissed in 2011.

When development efforts first started, the Mississippi River Critical Corridor Area rules and regulations had not been defined, and “there was a lot of angst in the community” about what those regulations would be, Minn said.

Those regulations are now “well defined,” clearing the way for development, he said.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Fred and Friends Traveling Tavern is broadening its appeal this season by introducing a new alcohol-free menu geared toward younger guests, joining the popular dirty soda craze sweeping the nation.

Previously focused on the 21-and-older crowd, the tavern has expanded its offerings to include customizable dirty sodas, loaded lemonades, and Alanis—largely thanks to inspiration from 14-year-old staff member Rylynn Bradley, daughter of manager Lindsay Bradley.

“We’ve had the tavern for a couple years now where we cater to our 21 and over crew, but we’ve kind of noticed a need for those under 21,” Lindsay Bradley said. “They want to come up and get a slushy, you know, hang out with mom and dad.”

The tavern offers a rotating selection of drinks featuring about 20 different syrup choices, including both zero sugar and regular soda options.

Among the customer favorites are:

• Dirty Cotton Candy Alani: A vibrant mix of blue raspberry, edible glitter, cotton candy Alani, and cotton candy cold foam
• Bomb Pop: Combines cherry, Sprite, and blue raspberry-infused cold foam for a refreshing taste

“It’s so customizable, which is what we really like about it,” Lindsay said. “You come up, you see the syrups, you see the soda. If you want a drink, we’ll make it.”

Teen Inspiration

Rylynn Bradley, who helped inspire the menu expansion, says working at the tavern has been a valuable learning experience.

“It is such a great opportunity. It helps me learn how to do new things and try to work on my communication skills a little bit better,” Rylynn said. “It’s really fun and it’s one of my favorite things that I do.”

Friends of Fred Network

Fred and Friends Traveling Tavern is part of Friends of Fred, a local network that helps food trucks in the Indianapolis area connect and support each other.

“We all network together, we look out for the best of one another,” Lindsay said. “That’s what you get with Friends of Fred.”

The timing of the expansion coincides with National Food Truck Day, though weather challenges reminded the team of the unpredictable nature of the business.

“The weather has completely derailed almost everybody’s plans today, so that’s food truck life in a nutshell,” Lindsay said.

Where to Find Them

The tavern will be at White River State Park for the upcoming drone show event, serving both its alcoholic and non-alcoholic drink selections.

For those interested in connecting with the Friends of Fred network or finding the tavern’s location, visit the Friends of Fred Facebook page. Look for trucks displaying the “Friends of Fred vetted member” sticker.

Along with the new alcohol-free dirty soda selection, the tavern continues to offer slushies, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic, catering to a wide range of tastes throughout the Indianapolis food truck scene.