Five things to know about Brewers rookie Brice Turang (and watch him get the news he made the team)

The Brewers gave 23-year-old infield prospect Brice Turang some surprising good news ahead of the season opener last week, informing him that he'd been "optioned to Chicago."

It's unclear if Turang knew immediately what that meant, but you can see in a video posted by the Milwaukee Brewers that it dawned on him eventually; he'd be opening the season at Wrigley Field in Chicago when the Milwaukee Brewers begin the season Thursday. One of the organization's top prospects, Turang has been toiling in the minors since 2018 when he was the team's first-round draft pick. He's heard the news that he'd been "optioned" back to the minor leagues before. But this was different.

"You gave us a tough call," Brewers manager Craig Counsell says in the video. "They always tell me when you're gonna deliver bad news, just spit it out. So I think what we're going to do is option you to Chicago."

The infielder played primarily shortstop last year at Class AAA Nashville and has progressively worked his way up the minor-league system. It wasn't abundantly obvious that Turang would land a spot out of camp, but he'll be in line to make his big-league debut at the very outset of 2023.

Here's what to know about Turang

He's consistently gotten better since the Brewers drafted him in 2018

The native Californian was drafted out of high school with the 21st overall pick of the 2018 draft, and though he's been around for seemingly forever in the organization, he's gotten steadily better while remaining at or near the top of most Brewers prospect lists.

After receiving a signing bonus of $3.44 million to eschew a scholarship to Louisiana State University, Turang was able to get his first 42 professional games under his belt in 2018 and then made his Cactus League debut at age 19 as a late-inning fill-in.

After splitting 2019 between Class A Wisconsin and advanced Class A Carolina, he spent the pandemic-riddled 2020 season working out at the Brewers' alternate training site in Appleton.

He split 2021 between Class AA Biloxi and Nashville, then returned to the Sounds in 2022. His numbers have gotten progressively better over the last three full seasons.

In 131 games at Class AAA Nashville last year, Turang hit .286 while posting career highs with 13 home runs, 78 runs batted in and 34 stolen bases.

His family is crazy athletic: His dad played Major League Baseball, all his sisters were athletes and he has a famous brother-in-law

Brice Turang's dad, Brian, was drafted by the Seattle Mariners late in 1989 and made his big-league debut in 1993, leading off for Seattle the same night Alex Rodriguez made his big-league debut in July of 1994. Brian Turang appeared in 78 games for Seattle over two seasons, hitting one homer and driving in 15 runs.

Brian Turang was also drafted by the Brewers in 1987 in the 20th round but elected to play college baseball at Long Beach City College.

Turang's mother, Carrie, played softball at Long Beach State.

His three sisters all had standout college athletics careers. Brianna played both softball and soccer at Oklahoma; she was an all-Big 12 selection in softball in 2013 when Oklahoma went 57-4 and won the national title, putting up an argument for the best college softball team ever. She also played in the final in 2012.

Brianna is married to Tress Way, punter for the Washington Commanders (who made his second Pro Bowl in 2022).

Brice's sister Carissa played softball at Southern Miss and Cal State Fullerton, sister Cabria played soccer at Utah and sister Bailee was an all-region volleyball player at NCAA Division II Southern Nazarene in Oklahoma.

His family was once on a reality show called 'Meet Mister Mom'

In 2005, the Turangs appeared on an episode of NBC reality show "Meet Mister Mom," a one-season show in which moms are sent on luxury vacations where they monitor how their husbands are holding down the fort as single parents on closed-circuit televisions. The dad and kids compete against another family for prizes during the week of separation.

He can steal bases and can flash the leather

Turang stole 30 bases in 2019, 20 in 2021 and 34 last year, getting caught just twice in the latter campaign. Don't expect him to stand still once he gets on base.

His speed and his fielding ability are the skills that have the highest grade at MLB.com's scouting report. A shortstop by trade, Turang also saw time last year at second base, third base and, for the first time since he was 13 years old, center field.

He could be the seventh Brewer to make his Major League debut in the opening-day lineup, joining two Hall of Famers

Six Brewers have made their Major League debut in the opening-day lineup, and while it remains to be seen if Turang joins that group, it would put him in heady company with Gorman Thomas (1973), Robin Yount (1974) and Paul Molitor (1978). Second-baseman Pedro Garcia (1973) joined Thomas in that lineup, and catcher Joe Kmak (1993) and J.J. Hardy (2005) also turned the feat.

More: After a steady climb, Brewers prospect Brice Turang is finally on the verge of the major leagues

Hardy, whose debut came in Pittsburgh on April 4, 2005, went 1 for 4 with two RBIs in that game, both on a two-run single in the sixth. Hardy was at the front end of a prospect wave that later included Prince Fielder, Corey Hart, Rickie Weeks and Ryan Braun, just as Turang is near the front of a wave that includes Garrett Mitchell, Joey Wiemer, Sal Frelick and more. Weeks and Braun did have brief appearances before 2005 but didn't become regulars until after Hardy.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Five things to know about Miwaukee Brewers rookie Brice Turang