The Brewers made the move that was always coming, and it cost two rookie right-handers spots on the active roster.
Brandon Sproat, who lasted only three innings in last night’s series opener against the Pirates, was optioned to Triple-A after a rough outing that helped push Milwaukee toward a change. Garrett Stallings, who entered after Sproat and wound up providing three innings of relief, was also sent down as the club cleared space for its latest trade deadline additions.
The timing lines up cleanly with Milwaukee’s roster math. With Dustin May and Antonio Senzatela now on board, the Brewers needed two openings. May and Senzatela were both added to the active roster less than 24 hours after being acquired, and the club’s decisions followed quickly.
Sproat’s night went sideways in the fourth inning after he allowed a leadoff single to Pittsburgh first baseman Endy Rodríguez. Then came back-to-back wild pitches against shortstop Jacob Gonzalez, which moved Rodríguez to third and brought Pat Murphy out of the dugout.
The Brewers manager signaled to the bullpen, and Stallings took over before Sproat could finish the at-bat. Murphy said after the game that he and Matt Arnold were going to sit down with Sproat and talk through his role.
Now the answer is clear. The 25-year-old right-hander is headed to Nashville after a rookie season that has flashed upside but never settled in.
Sproat has shown enough to hint at a future big-league starter, but the inconsistency has been a constant issue. He leaves Milwaukee with a 5.27 ERA in 21 outings.
Stallings got the raw end of the transaction, even if it was predictable. He turned in his best appearance in the majors last night, and he still had to go because he is one of the optionable relievers on the roster and was the lowest man on the bullpen depth chart.
The silver lining for Milwaukee is that he hasn’t allowed an earned run in four big-league appearances this year, and his three-inning effort helped absorb the damage from Sproat’s short start. If the Brewers need more relief help later this season, Stallings still looks like a useful arm to call on.
May is the headline addition, and he made that clear in his first comments as a Brewer. Asked what fans are getting, he said, "a guy with a lot of fight.
I definitely show a lot of emotion on the mound, but yeah, I'm very fiery, and you'll be able to see that on Thursday." He is scheduled to make his Milwaukee debut Thursday in the series finale against the Pirates.
Milwaukee has not announced how the rest of its rotation will be handled, but Kyle Harrison is expected back in the group soon.
Senzatela, meanwhile, is already in the bullpen mix and available as soon as tonight. The veteran right-hander last pitched on July 31, so he should be fresh enough to cover at least one inning if Murphy needs him.
In Other News...
Brandon Sproat Just Put His Brewers Role In Real Jeopardy
Brandon Sproats night turned rough in a hurry, and the Brewers were left trying to dig out of a hole before they ever got a real chance to settle in. Sproat allowed multiple runs and had trouble finding the strike zone, forcing Milwaukee to turn the game over to Garrett Stallings, who steadied things with three scoreless innings and gave the lineup a chance to rally.
The Brewers did push back with some scoring in the fifth and sixth innings, but the deficit Sproat created was too much to erase. More than the loss itself, the outing raised a bigger question for Milwaukee: a pitcher trying to carve out a role in a crowded staff cant afford nights like this, and Sproats place in the rotation and even on the roster may now be in real doubt. [Read more 🡒]
Brewers Rotation Squeeze May Force A Tough Connor Sproat Decision
The Brewers pitching depth has suddenly become a lot less theoretical. After acquiring Dustin May and with Kyle Harrison expected back from the injured list, Milwaukee is looking at a rotation logjam that would be a good problem to have if not for the fact that there are only so many starts to go around. Connor Sproat is right in the middle of that squeeze, and his latest outing only sharpened the conversation about where he fits.
In his recent start, Sproat gave up four runs in three-plus innings, a rough line at a time when the Brewers are trying to sort out their long-term mix on the mound. Pat Murphy and the teams decision-makers are expected to meet with Sproat soon to talk through the next steps, and the discussion figures to be as much about opportunity as it is about performance. For a club trying to balance immediate needs with keeping its arms lined up, this is the kind of choice that can shape the rest of the pitching plan. [Read more 🡒]
Brewers Pushed Hard For Tarik Skubal But Still Lost Out
The Brewers spent real energy trying to land Tarik Skubal, making a strong push with a three-prospect offer in hopes of bringing the Detroit ace to Milwaukee. Instead, the Dodgers came in with a package that Detroit preferred, and the trade moved on without the Brewers, a reminder of how quickly the market can turn when a premium pitcher is available.
Brewers officials did not hide their disappointment, though they also treated the negotiations as the kind of complicated process that often stays partially behind closed doors. Manager Pat Murphy and president of baseball operations Matt Arnold both underscored how aggressively the club went after Skubal, a sign the Brewers were willing to make a meaningful swing even if the final cost never became public. [Read more 🡒]