Despite holding a slim lead in the chaotic National League Central, the Milwaukee Brewers are in a somewhat precarious position going into the last two months of the season. A feeble lineup, inconsistent starting pitching and stiff competition in the Cincinnati Reds and Chicago Cubs means that Craig Counsel's club will need to dig down deep to emerge successful when the mad dash to the postseason concludes on Oct. 1.

However, the air is much different above American Family Field than it was during a disappointing 2022. The franchise no longer looks lost and ill-equipped to make the right decisions. Milwaukee charged into this season with a clear direction. There has been an infusion of youth added to the lineup, as rookies Joey Wiemer and Brice Turang work through their growing pains and Sal Frelick continues his hot start. The team is looking to the future while also competing.

That is the hybrid many general managers try to perfect, but few actually pull it off. The Brewers' fortuitous residence in the NL Central gives them a stronger chance for success. They have the luxury of being patient with their youngsters because they know 88 wins will probably be enough to claim the divisional crown. However, recklessness cost this franchise a playoff berth last season. Exercising some extra caution in 2023 can mercifully prevent another second-half collapse.

Matt Arnold, Milwaukee's GM and president of baseball operations, made some smaller, savvy deals by adding power-hitting Carlos Santana, outfielder Mark Canha and reliever Andrew Chafin. There is still work to be done, though.

We are going to break down two roster moves that will help the Brewers find their way back into playing October baseball.

Activate SP Brandon Woodruff

Let's start with the easy one, which requires nothing from the organization at all except common sense. Woodruff is due to be activated for Sunday's game against the Pittsburgh Pirates and should make his first start in almost four months. It has been a long, long road back to the MLB roster, but the two-time All-Star is returning just in time. He instantly lifts the rotation and serves as a rock solid No. 2 behind ace Corbin Burnes when healthy.

Truthfully, we cannot oversell Woodruff's value to this team. Freddy Peralta has been up-and-down and has a pedestrian 4.46 ERA. Eric Lauer is a completely different pitcher and was optioned to Triple-A Nashville. His struggles persisted and recently brought him further down to rookie-ball. Counsel and his guys desperately need the cavalry to arrive.

Brandon Woodruff was excellent in his only two outings this year and has not finished a season with an ERA above 3.62 since his rookie 2017 campaign. The 30-year-old righty epitomizes Brewers baseball. Milwaukee (59-51) is in first place without him, and its ceiling now gets decently higher with him being activated this weekend.

Sign Infielder Jean Segura

Jean Segura has been an integral part of four different teams across his 12 years in the MLB. But this consistent ballplayer precipitously declined during his four-month tenure with the Miami Marlins. He is hitting more than 60 points below his career average at .219 and struggled defensively while playing out of position at third base. A -1.8 WAR is not the breath of fresh air that the Brew could use right now.

I am banking on Segura not being that type of player for the home stretch, though. And Matt Arnold should too. The 33-year-old was just part of the Philadelphia Phillies' NL Pennant run and can potentially be a welcome contact-heavy bat in a lineup with few reliable hitters. Furthermore, he has a rapport built with the city and fan base when he played for Milwaukee from 2012-15.

That might feel like a lifetime ago, but the two-time All-Star has value, depth and experience to bring to the table. Those are all essential characteristics of a prosperous postseason push. It might be unwise to supplant Turang at second with the veteran, but Segura is versatile enough to earn playing time in a supplemental role. We can look at all the numbers and consider the pros and cons of signing the recently released native of Dominican Republic, but I can quantify this potential move in simple terms.

Jean Segura just feels like a good guy to have in your clubhouse. He is battle-tested, resilient and still has enough left in the tank to help keep the Brewers afloat. This reunion can be rejuvenating for both parties.

Redemption is in reach

At this time of the year, you will be hard-pressed to obtain a magical elixir that can remedy all problems. But both Woodruff and Segura have the ability to at least keep this franchise from deteriorating like it did in 2022. And that might be all the Brewers need.