The Brewers head into Los Angeles looking for a reset after a rough start to their six-game California trip, and the setup is favorable on paper. Milwaukee dropped two of three to the Giants in San Francisco, then got an off day to regroup before taking on an Angels club tied with the Rockies for the worst record in baseball.
Milwaukee will hand the ball to Shane Drohan, who has quietly been one of the bright spots in his first season with the organization. The left-hander brings a 3.51 ERA and 82 strikeouts in 82 innings into the start. He was originally lined up to pitch the series finale against San Francisco, but Pat Murphy went with Thomas Pannone instead, giving the rotation a little extra rest.
The Angels will answer with Ryan Johnson, a 23-year-old right-hander and their second-round competitive balance pick in the 2024 draft. Johnson drew attention last year when he broke camp with the big league team despite never having pitched in the minors. The results were rough then, with a 7.36 ERA in 14 relief outings, and the struggle has continued this season with a 7.34 ERA over 11 appearances, eight of them starts.
Milwaukee’s lineup again features Brice Turang and Jackson Chourio at the top, with Christian Yelich hitting third and William Contreras cleaning up. Jake Bauers and Garrett Mitchell follow in the five and six spots, while Luis Lara, David Hamilton, and Cooper Pratt round things out.
Lara has been a bright spot in a small sample, posting an .832 OPS in his first 42 at-bats as a Brewer. With Hamilton starting at third base, Joey Ortiz is out of the lineup again.
The Brewers also made a roster move before the game, activating left-hander DL Hall from the injured list. Hall has a 2.03 ERA in 24 appearances this season. In the corresponding move, Pannone was designated for assignment.
First pitch is set for 8:38 p.m., with the game airing on Brewers.TV, WTMJ, and the Brewers Radio Network.
In Other News...
Brewers Just Made A Pitching Move That Raises Deadline Questions
The Brewers got a little healthier on the mound Tuesday, reinstating left-hander DL Hall from the 15-day injured list and clearing a spot by designating Thomas Pannone for assignment. Pannone had only recently been added to the roster and was asked to make a spot start, so this was always shaping up as a short-term arrangement once Milwaukees other arms were ready to return.
The move also nudges the Brewers 40-man roster down to 38, a reminder that the front office is still juggling pitching depth with an eye on what comes next. Halls return helps stabilize the staff in the immediate term, but the decision to move on from Pannone only adds to the sense that Milwaukee may not be done adjusting its pitching mix as the deadline pressure starts to build. [Read more 🡒]
Brewers Could Finally Make The Bullpen Move Fans Have Waited For
As the trade deadline approaches, the relief market is starting to take shape, and the Mets busy sell-off has put a familiar name into play for contenders looking to sharpen their late innings. Milwaukee is among the clubs reportedly showing interest in Luke Weaver, a move that would fit the Brewers long-running need to keep adding depth to a bullpen that has often been the teams strength.
Weaver has had a strong season, which is exactly why the ask would be steep. Any deal would require real financial commitment and a prospect return that would not come cheaply, but for a Brewers club trying to stay positioned for October, that is the kind of decision this stretch of the calendar tends to force. The question now is whether Milwaukee is willing to pay the price before the deadline market gets even tighter. [Read more 🡒]