The Brewers made a fresh bullpen move ahead of tonight’s game against the Phillies, selecting the contract of right-hander Lyon Richardson and sending left-hander Colton Gordon to Double-A. With the shuffle, Milwaukee’s 40-man roster is down to 39 players.
Richardson has already taken a winding route through both clubs this season. He spent a few days on the Reds’ roster earlier this year before being designated for assignment in June.
After clearing waivers, he elected free agency and later joined the Brewers on a minor league deal. Milwaukee then ran him through a nearly identical sequence: he got one big-league appearance in August, was designated for assignment, and eventually re-signed with the club on another minor league contract.
The 26-year-old’s numbers in Cincinnati were rough - five earned runs in two outings - but he has fared better since landing in Milwaukee’s system. At Triple-A Nashville, Richardson put up a 4.23 ERA in 22 appearances and struck out more than a batter per inning, even with a walk rate of 13.2%. In his lone Brewers appearance, he handled the final five outs behind starter Logan Henderson.
That setup could repeat tonight. Henderson is lined up for what should be his final start of the regular season, and Milwaukee has been careful with its starters as it sorts out the playoff rotation.
Jacob Misiorowski went just three innings on Sunday, and Dustin May covered two frames last night. Richardson has mainly worked as a multi-inning reliever with the Sounds, which makes him a natural fit to bridge a few innings behind Henderson.
Gordon had been occupying that same role. He was recalled late last week and made his team debut on Tuesday, working the final five innings after May and Kyle Harrison. He allowed two earned runs against the Phillies, threw 70 pitches, and was not likely to be available again until the weekend.
Milwaukee picked up Gordon in a mid-July trade with the Astros that also brought in right-hander Lance McCullers Jr. The Brewers sent minor league outfielder Jadyn Fielder the other way. McCullers was released in late July, while Gordon gave Milwaukee some useful innings and could still be part of the club’s long-relief picture in 2027.
In Other News...
Brewers Suddenly Have A Playoff Pitching Decision To Make
Colton Gordons Brewers debut came at a busy moment, with the left-hander giving Milwaukee five innings and allowing two runs against the Phillies while the offense tried to claw back late. The effort wasnt enough to turn the game around, as the Brewers fell 6-4, but the result still landed in a bigger context for a club already looking ahead to October.
Because of a Braves loss elsewhere, Milwaukee also locked up a first-round bye in the playoffs, which changes the conversation around the pitching staff almost immediately. Gordons outing added one more candidate to the mix at a time when the Brewers are suddenly sorting through how they want to line up their arms for the postseason. [Read more 🡒]
Brewers Are Already Hinting At A Playoff Lineup Shift
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Murphy also floated a few other October possibilities that hint at how Milwaukee could mix and match once the games start carrying more weight. Sal Frelick is a candidate to be in the lineup, while David Hamilton and Luis Lara could see more chances against right-handed pitching. It is the kind of late-season tinkering that says the Brewers are thinking beyond one regular-season game and starting to map out the shape of their best postseason version, even if the final version is still not fully settled. [Read more 🡒]
Brewers Clinched A Huge Edge But Their Rotation Suddenly Feels Murkier
Colton Gordon gave the Brewers a look at what their depth can offer Tuesday, carving through four scoreless innings in his first real chance to settle in before the fifth got away from him. Milwaukee still had reason to keep one eye on the bigger picture, even in a 6-4 loss to the Phillies, because a Braves defeat later in the night locked in a first-round bye and home-field advantage in the NLDS.
The result left the Brewers with a rare mix of security and uncertainty. They have already secured one of the postseasons best possible starting points, but games like this can still shape how the rotation feels heading into October, especially with a newcomer trying to pitch his way into the conversation and the margins for playoff roles getting tighter by the day. [Read more 🡒]