SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Brewers manager Ken Macha has a pretty good idea about shortstop prospect Alcides Escobar's popularity in the Cactus League.

"People appreciate the spectacular," Macha said.

The Venezuelan shortstop has flashed some spectacular defense during his first big league camp, a stay that could end as early as Monday or Tuesday when the Brewers make their next round of roster cuts. Escobar was among the next wave of prospects getting a look this spring.

He said he's ready to ride that wave to Milwaukee.

"I'm ready to play in the big leagues," Escobar declared. "I'm waiting for it. Is it this year or next year? I don't know. I'm ready."

He's likely to start the year at Triple-A Nashville instead. J.J. Hardy is entrenched as the Brewers' shortstop and is a plus defender, if not as flashy as Escobar. That has prompted discussion in the front office and speculation among the fans about what to do in the future. Hardy has one more year of arbitration eligibility before he hits free agency.

Asked about the logjam, Escobar said, "I don't know what's going to happen. I know I have a good friend in J.J. If the team wants me to move to second, to third, to the outfield, wherever, I'll do it."

Escobar was hitting .229 entering Sunday's game with seven runs scored and five RBIs. Last year at Double-A Huntsville, he hit .328 with eight home runs, 76 RBIs and a Southern League-best 179 hits in 131 games. Escobar and third baseman Mat Gamel shared the Robin Yount Award for the Brewers' Minor League Player of the Year.

Escobar is No. 8 on MiLB.com's Top 50 Prospects list. He impressed Macha.

"I still know that he's young," Macha said. "He's going to improve and gain a little confidence at the plate. His raw skills are off the charts. Tremendous 'gun,' great range, good speed. Every once in a while he'll throw a ball he should eat, but that's just youth. ... He just needs as much experience as he can get right now."

Escobar was not the only prospect getting a look in camp:

Gamel started on a sour note when he reported to Maryvale Baseball Park with a sore shoulder, and he was limited to 16 games before the Brewers optioned him to Nashville on Wednesday. He batted .250 (6-for-25) with one home run, four RBIs, five runs scored and eight strikeouts.

Gamel is one of the most exciting offensive prospects in the game -- No. 23 on MiLB.com's Top 50 list -- but club officials were just as interested to watch him at third base. He passed the test, impressing Macha with his arm strength.

"He had a chance to show what he can do," general manager Doug Melvin said. "Defensively, I don't think there were any issues with him. He didn't have a lot of plays, but the plays he did have, he made.

"You can tell he can swing the bat, and he's a left-handed bat that might be able to help us some time this year.

Angel Salome is considered Milwaukee's top catching prospect, but his camp was shortened by a lower back injury that limited him to two at-bats after March 2.

"There are other guys that have been playing in this camp and know our pitchers a lot better than he does," Macha said. "So his injury has put himself at a little bit of a deficit starting off."

Still, Salome will head to Nashville as the primary catcher, and he would likely get the call should one of Milwaukee's catchers go down with an injury.

Jonathan Lucroy and Lorenzo Cain each batted .167 in Cactus League games, but that was not representative of their quality camps. Lucroy, compared by Melvin to former A's catcher Terry Steinbach, will start the year a step behind Salome at Double-A Huntsville. Cain will probably join him.

Lucroy got significant playing time because of injuries to Salome and big league backup catcher Mike Rivera, appearing in 11 games. Cain was a late addition to big league camp while Tony Gwynn Jr. nursed a shoulder injury and Ryan Braun played in the World Baseball Classic. Both were returned to Minor League camp on March 19.

"They both were very impressive," said assistant general manager Gord Ash, who oversees Milwaukee's top two Minor League affiliates. "You consider that Lucroy started last season in low [Class] A and Cain started in high-A, and they have come a long way to be participating in big league games."

Tim Dillard, Nick Green and Chase Wright will form three-fifths of the starting rotation at Nashville after combining for 13 appearances in the Cactus League. Dillard pitched exclusively in relief last season, including 13 games with the Brewers, but switched to a starter after he was optioned to Nashville on March 16.

"I'd been thinking about it for a while and I mentioned the idea of starting to Stan [Kyles, Milwaukee's bullpen coach]," Dillard said. "He must have mentioned it to Doug and Gord and they liked the idea."

Omar Aguilar and Alex Periard, both right-handers added to the 40-man roster over the winter, appeared briefly in big league camp and are now dealing with injuries on the Minor League side. Aguilar strained a rib-cage muscle last week, and Periard, who did not throw a Cactus League pitch because of lingering soreness in his right shoulder that dates to last season, received a cortisone shot. If he does not respond, Periard may require exploratory surgery.

The two other arms added to the 40-man roster over the winter also never threw a Cactus League pitch. Former first-round pick Mark Rogers was on a throwing program as he returns from two shoulder surgeries and had a terrible debut in a Minor League game on Thursday, unable to retire any of the seven hitters he faced. Rogers surrendered three hits and four walks. Cody Scarpetta, who was added to the roster because of a rules technicality, made his only appearance in front of Macha in a "B" game against the Dodgers. He's ticketed for Class A Wisconsin.