The Brewers are about to get another arm back, and it could matter just as much as any deadline splash.
Milwaukee already owns the best record in baseball, and the bullpen has been a big reason why. The group has posted a 3.48 ERA, which ranks fourth in the league, even with a recent setback when Abner Uribe went on the 15-day injured list. The good news there is that Uribe appears to be on pace to return once he’s eligible.
JoJo Romero is also moving closer to rejoining the mix. The veteran left-hander, who has been sidelined since the middle of July after an appendectomy, took a multi-inning bullpen session today and is scheduled for live batting practice on Friday, according to MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy. If that goes smoothly, he could be cleared to start a rehab assignment soon.
Romero had been in the middle of a strong season with the St. Louis Cardinals before the injury and his move to Milwaukee. In 44 appearances, the 29-year-old has put up a 3.35 ERA across 43 innings while striking out 43 batters.
His return would give the Brewers another reliable late-inning option and another left-handed look out of the bullpen. That’s exactly the kind of depth Milwaukee was trying to build around the deadline, when it passed on the biggest names on the market, including Tarik Skubal, and instead added Romero and Dustin May from the St. Louis Cardinals.
Some fans wanted more. Still, both pickups have already looked useful. May turned in one of his best outings of the season last Wednesday, giving up one run and four hits over seven innings against the San Diego Padres.
Romero hasn’t had that moment in a Brewers uniform yet, but his chance is coming. With October drawing closer and Milwaukee rolling the way it is, the 29-year-old should be back in the action soon enough. He has never appeared in the postseason, and that figure could change this year.
In Other News...
Brewers Suddenly Have A Shortstop Concern Fans Can't Ignore
The Brewers had no trouble taking care of the Mariners in a historic 22-0 rout, but the biggest follow-up for Milwaukee came away from the scoreboard. Joey Ortiz was part of the offensive surge, going 2-for-4 with three runs scored and a walk, and he stayed in the game through the final out as the club rolled to one of its most lopsided wins in recent memory.
Even so, Pat Murphy said Ortiz is dealing with a twisted ankle, leaving Milwaukee to watch a position that already has some uncertainty. Starting shortstop Cooper Pratt is on the injured list with a hamstring strain, though he has begun a rehab assignment, so the Brewers are in the awkward spot of tracking one shortstop's recovery while monitoring another's health at the same time. [Read more 🡒]
Brewers Roster Squeeze Is About To Hit Some Familiar Names
August has pushed the Brewers into some uncomfortable roster math, with infield injuries to Cooper Pratt, Brice Turang and Joey Ortiz creating the kind of short-term scramble teams dread. The picture is starting to shift, though, as Pratt, outfielder Sal Frelick and reliever JoJo Romero all move closer to returns and the club has to decide how to make the pieces fit again.
Jonathan Ornelas, Brandon Lockridge and Bryse Wilson are among the names most exposed as the roster tightens, and Wilson has already been designated for assignment. Pratts return is expected soon, which puts Ornelas in the most precarious spot, while Frelicks comeback could force another choice in the outfield and send Lockridge back to Triple-A. [Read more 🡒]
Brewers Trade Is Already Raising Questions For One Frustrating Reason
The Brewers have already seen one of their recent bullpen gambles take on a little extra intrigue. When Milwaukee sent reliever Mark Manfredi to Colorado in the deal for Antonio Senzatela, it was the kind of move teams make hoping the long view will sort it out, with one arm helping elsewhere and the return piece eventually settling in.
Instead, the early read has been messy on both sides. Manfredi has been moved onto the Rockies major league roster in short order, while Senzatela has also struggled to find his footing in Milwaukee, leaving the trade looking less like an immediate solution and more like another reminder that deadline-style decisions do not always reveal their value right away. [Read more 🡒]