David Denson played first base for the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers part of last year and earlier this season. (Photo by Craig Wieczorkiewicz/The Midwest League Traveler)

Former Wisconsin Timber Rattlers first baseman David Denson announced he is gay in a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel article late Saturday, making him the first active player affiliated with a Major League Baseball club to come out publicly.

You can read the article here.

In a statement issued Sunday, the Milwaukee Brewers called Denson “a very courageous young man” and said their goal for him “is to help develop him into a major-league player, just as it is for any player in our system, and we will continue to support him in every way as he chases that dream.”

Denson played 68 games with the Timber Rattlers last year, batting .243 with 4 HR and 29 RBI. He was back with the Timber Rattlers at the start of this season, and batted .195 with 1 HR and 8 RBI in 24 games before being sent down to the Helena Brewers of the rookie-level Pioneer League. He is batting .247 with 4 HR and 18 RBI in 43 games with Helena.