The Brewers are getting close to having their bullpen back in full working order, and the timing could hardly be better.
Milwaukee enters September with a three-game edge over the Los Angeles Dodgers for the best record in the National League and in all of MLB, while also sitting eight games ahead of the Chicago Cubs with seven head-to-head matchups still on deck over the next two weeks. If the Brewers can finish first, they’d secure home-field advantage throughout the postseason and skip the Wild Card Series entirely, just like they did last year.
That setup matters even more with the offense starting to click. Christian Yelich, Jackson Chourio, and William Contreras all appear to be heating up at the same time, and the pitching staff is about to get a boost of its own. Abner Uribe and JoJo Romero are each two games into rehab assignments with the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, and both are trending toward a return.
Uribe had some soreness after his first rehab appearance, but he has looked sharp since then and could be activated soon, depending on how he comes out of his latest outing. Romero, Milwaukee’s trade deadline addition, seems just about ready to make his team debut. On Friday night, both right back into the kind of clean work the Brewers were hoping to see: Romero struck out the side in a 1-2-3 inning, and Uribe punched out two in his own spotless frame.
If Milwaukee does line up for the Division Series with a first-round bye, the bullpen picture starts to get pretty clear. The roster will expand to 28 players in September, but postseason rosters shrink back to 26, with a cap of 13 pitchers. Since the Brewers would be carrying a four-man rotation of Jacob Misiorowski, Kyle Harrison, Logan Henderson, and Dustin May, that leaves nine relief spots to sort through.
The projected group looks like this: RHP Trevor Megill, RHP Abner Uribe, LHP Aaron Ashby, RHP Anthony Senzatela, LHP JoJo Romero, RHP Chad Patrick, LHP Shane Drohan, LHP DL Hall, and RHP Grant Anderson.
That mix gives Milwaukee five right-handers and four left-handers, plus a nice blend of matchup arms and length. Uribe and Romero bring the leverage stuff, while Patrick, Drohan, and Hall can all give the Brewers multiple innings if the game calls for it.
The first eight names on that list feel pretty secure, but the final spot is still a little fuzzy. Anderson is the current placeholder there after posting a 3.38 ERA this season, though most of his work outside the first month came in lower-leverage spots. He was even optioned to the minor leagues earlier this month before Uribe’s injury opened a bullpen door.
Brandon Sproat is another name to watch for that last opening. He got an extended shot in the rotation earlier this year before being sent to Triple-A in early August, and he’s kept pushing his case since then.
Most recently, he threw three scoreless innings with five strikeouts in a combined seven-inning no-hitter for the Nashville Sounds. Moving him into a relief role could let Milwaukee lean on his two or three best pitches and potentially simplify some command issues.
The raw stuff is clearly there for him to become a shutdown reliever.
Even before Uribe and Romero return, this has been one of the best bullpens in baseball. Milwaukee’s relievers own a 3.25 ERA, third-best in the league. Add in two more high-end arms, and the Brewers could be looking at a bullpen that becomes one of their biggest weapons in October.
In Other News...
Abner Uribes Rehab Stop Turned Into A Brewers-Farm Moment Fans Loved
Abner Uribes rehab stop turned into one of those minor-league nights that feels bigger than the box score. On Bratoberfest theme night at the High-A Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, the Brewers reliever took the field in a special Brats jersey as part of his assignment, fitting right into an event built around German heritage and the kind of offbeat charm that makes affiliate baseball a unique part of the Milwaukee pipeline.
The jersey is now part of a larger auction tied to the night, with the game-worn tops from the event set to benefit the Timber Rattlers charitable efforts. For Brewers fans, it was a small but memorable reminder that rehab appearances can still produce moments worth following, especially when they come wrapped in the local flavor and community angle that minor-league baseball does so well. [Read more 🡒]
Brewers Face A Risky Power Debate They Cant Ignore
The Brewers have spent most of the season proving there is more than one way to build a winning lineup, sitting atop baseballs standings while ranking near the bottom in home runs. That reality has made every potential power upgrade feel a little more complicated than it might for another contender, especially with the club having already explored the idea of adding Eugenio Surez before he slipped through on waivers.
Now Milwaukee is weighing another possible swing at offense, with Luis Robert Jr. available on outright waivers from the Mets. Robert brings the kind of blend of power, speed and defense that can change a rosters ceiling in a hurry, but his health history and the Brewers own outfield depth make this a harder call than a simple talent grab. For a team that has won plenty without the long ball, the question is whether this is the kind of risk that fits the race it is trying to run. [Read more 🡒]
Jacob Misiorowski Is Chasing A Brewers Feat Few Pitchers Reach
Jacob Misiorowski has spent his sophomore season in Milwaukee stacking up the kind of numbers that put a pitcher squarely in the Cy Young conversation. Through 25 starts, he has been one of the most dominant arms in the majors, sitting at the top of several key pitching metrics, including strikeouts and ERA+.
For Brewers fans, the comparison point is a short but notable club history. Rollie Fingers, Pete Vuckovich, and Corbin Burnes all brought home Cy Young Awards, each in his own era, and each left a different kind of mark on the franchise. Misiorowski is already forcing that conversation by how he is pitching now, even if what comes next still depends on how the rest of his season unfolds. [Read more 🡒]