The Milwaukee Brewers kept rolling yesterday, becoming the first team to 80 wins with a 2-1 victory over the Braves and Chris Sale. Today’s matchup gives them a different look on the mound, with Atlanta turning to Martín Pérez.
Pérez, 35, is not going to overpower anyone. His average fastball velocity this season sits at 89.3 mph, but he’s carved out a long major league run since 2012 by keeping barrels down and getting ground balls.
The results have been solid: a 3.15 ERA and 133 ERA+, which mark the second-best season of his career. The underlying numbers are less flattering, though, as his 4.14 FIP trails that ERA by a fair margin.
Milwaukee will counter with rookie right-hander Logan Henderson, who has been one of the bright spots for the club when healthy. Henderson owns a 2.44 ERA across 17 career starts with the Brewers. He has dealt with injuries in each of the last couple of seasons, but this year he has logged 12 starts and posted a 2.70 ERA with a sharp 0.87 WHIP.
There was also an update on Brandon Woodruff, whose status had pointed toward shoulder surgery when he left Milwaukee in late July. That plan has apparently changed after his shoulder showed what was described as remarkably unexpected healing, and surgeon Dr.
Keith Meister is no longer recommending the procedure. Given how the season has gone, there’s still reason to stay cautious, but a bullpen appearance before the end of the year would be an unexpected - and welcome - finish.
Milwaukee’s lineup comes with no major surprises. Jackson Chourio leads things off, with Brice Turang and William Contreras behind him.
Contreras is coming off a 4-for-4 night with an RBI in yesterday’s one-run win. Jake Bauers, who leads the team with 22 home runs, bats fifth, and Andrew Vaughn starts at first base with Bauers in right field.
Christian Yelich serves as the designated hitter, followed by Joey Ortiz, Luis Lara in center, and Cooper Pratt at shortstop.
In Other News...
Brewers Will See A Familiar Face In Atlanta For This One
The Braves added a familiar name to their roster for the matchup with Milwaukee, recalling outfielder Brewer Hicklen as the extra player for the Little League Classic. For Hicklen, a nine-year minor league veteran who reached the majors in 2022, the assignment carries a little more meaning than most. He grew up rooting for Atlanta, so getting a chance to suit up for his favorite team in a showcase setting gives the game an extra layer beyond the usual late-summer backdrop.
Atlanta could use the lift, too, with the club still searching for steadier footing. Hicklens arrival gives the Braves another option as they prepare to face a team he knows well, and the setting in Williamsport only adds to the unusual feel of the moment. For Milwaukee, it is the sort of twist that comes with baseball's calendar, a reminder that even a neutral-site event can bring a little personal history back into the picture. [Read more 🡒]
Luis Lara Is Becoming A Brewers Spark Fans Can Feel
The Brewers have kept rolling, winning six of their last seven and banking a series win over the Braves behind another strong outing from Jacob Misiorowski, who picked up his 13th victory after six scoreless innings. In a stretch where Milwaukee has found ways to win in a lot of different shapes, the defense has been part of the story too, and rookie outfielder Luis Lara has started to stand out as one of the players giving this team a little extra edge.
Laras key catch against Atlanta was the kind of play that fits what the Brewers saw in him long before his major league debut, when they locked him into a seven-year extension. He is still early in his big-league run, but the way he is already showing up in big moments gives Milwaukee another reason to like where this is headed, even as the bigger question is how much more of that spark he can keep providing as the games get tougher. [Read more 🡒]
DL Hall Is Giving Brewers A Bullpen Question They Need Answered
The Brewers have built a reputation for making difficult trade decisions before players reach the end of their control, a habit that only got more scrutiny after the Josh Hader deal changed the way the front office talked about roster timing. Corbin Burnes was the next major name to go, shipped to Baltimore in February 2024 for Joey Ortiz, DL Hall and a draft pick, and Hall has since become one of the more interesting pieces in that return.
Originally developed as a starter, Hall has been pushed into a bullpen role because of injuries, and the move has taken on real meaning in 2026 as his performance has improved. With salary arbitration eligibility getting closer, the Brewers now have to sort out whether he profiles as a long-term relief answer, a possible future trade chip or something in between, and that kind of decision tends to say as much about their roster direction as it does about the pitcher himself. [Read more 🡒]