The Brewers are heading into the final stretch with the kind of problem every contender wants: too many arms to fit and a playoff chase that still has something left to settle.
Milwaukee entered play on September 9 with the best record in baseball, sitting 1.5 games ahead of the Los Angeles Dodgers for the top seed in the National League and holding a 4.5-game lead over the Atlanta Braves for a first-round bye. With less than three weeks left in the 2026 regular season, the Brewers are trying to lock down home-field advantage throughout the postseason while also making sure the roster isn’t worn down by the time October arrives.
That balancing act matters. The Brewers are clearly focused on staying healthy through the finish line, which could mean lighter workloads for young pitchers and occasional rest days for key offensive pieces. But even with that approach, late-season injuries are always lurking, and Milwaukee’s depth is about to get a boost.
According to the team’s latest injury report, three relievers are expected back before the end of September: Grant Anderson, Bryse Wilson, and Rob Zastryzny.
Anderson, who has been dealing with biceps tendinopathy, is expected to return in mid- to late-September. Wilson, sidelined by lumbar facet irritation, is already throwing from 90 feet without issue and is also projected to be back in that same window. Zastryzny, who has not pitched this season because of a run of frustrating injuries, was sent on a rehab assignment on September 9 and should be ready before month’s end.
All three sit on the edge of the postseason picture right now. But that can change fast if Milwaukee suffers another injury, and the Brewers could also tailor their October bullpen based on the opponent. That leaves room for a lefty like Zastryzny, a low-slot righty like Anderson, or a multi-inning option like Wilson to work their way onto the roster.
Even if none of them make the postseason cut, just getting them back gives Milwaukee some welcome insurance. And if the Brewers secure their seed early, one of those arms could even be used before the end of the month to help keep the rest of the bullpen fresh for October.
In Other News...
Brewers Are Still Cashing In On A Trade Nobody Noticed
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From Milwaukees side, the trade has already paid off with notable work from Harrison and Hamilton, giving the Brewers useful production from a move that was easy to overlook in February. The Red Sox have their own end of the bargain working, too, with Durbin emerging as one of the more notable pieces, which is what makes the deal so unusual: months later, it is still producing value for both clubs, and the full long-term shape of it is only beginning to come into focus. [Read more 🡒]
Brewers Are Getting National Credit For What They've Built
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What stands out about that kind of recognition is how much of it is tied to breadth, not just one or two headline names. Milwaukees mix of current contributors and prospects has given the club a legitimate national profile, even if the long-term payoff for some of those players still has to be proven. For a team that has turned consistency into its calling card, that sort of external validation is another sign the Brewers have built something real. [Read more 🡒]
Brewers Have A Strange New Weakness They Can't Take Into October
The Brewers have quietly run into one of the more unusual issues of their 2026 season, and it has nothing to do with pitching depth or bullpen usage. Under Major League Baseball's ABS challenge system, Milwaukee has been among the least effective teams in the sport, with a low success rate and an offense that challenges pitches less often than any other club.
It has not just been a matter of volume, either. Brewers catchers have also been below average when they do push for a review, which has made the system harder to trust in tight moments late in games. For a team that expects October baseball to come down to small edges, this has become a subtle but real weakness to keep in mind. [Read more 🡒]