The Milwaukee Brewers may be closing in on a key rotation boost as they line up their pitching for an upcoming series against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Brandon Sproat is set to start the opener, with Logan Henderson taking the ball in the second game. Wednesday’s starter is listed as TBA, and Pat Murphy said that spot could go to Kyle Harrison after his rehab start on Thursday. Shane Drohan is scheduled to handle the series finale.
That potential Harrison return matters for a Brewers team that has been grinding through a brutal stretch. Sunday’s finale against the Los Angeles Angels is the third game in a run of 17 contests over 17 days, so keeping the rotation fresh is going to be a challenge even if Milwaukee adds another arm or two before the deadline.
Harrison would give the Brewers a lift if he’s ready. He has gone 8-2 with a 3.01 ERA this season, and Milwaukee could use him badly against Pittsburgh. The Brewers are only 1-5 against the Pirates so far this year.
Milwaukee enters Sunday at 69-41, the best record in baseball, and has a chance to sweep the Angels with two-time All-Star Jacob Misiorowski starting the finale. But even with the standings looking great, there’s been some frustration around the club after reports Saturday night that the Brewers missed out on two-time American League Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal, who was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
That only adds to the uneasy feeling of what Milwaukee might face later if it runs into a loaded Dodgers team in the postseason. For now, though, the Brewers can only keep stacking wins and try to put themselves in the best possible position.
In Other News...
Brewers May Be Trying Another Deadline Turnaround Fans Have Seen Before
The Brewers were active again at the deadline, working a four-player deal with Cleveland that added catcher Bo Naylor and reliever Codi Heuer to a roster built around constant roster churn and opportunistic bets. In return, Milwaukee sent reliever Craig Yoho and outfielder Blake Perkins to the Guardians, another reminder that this front office is rarely afraid to swap pieces if it thinks theres a path to squeezing more out of them.
Naylors arrival is the part that makes the move feel familiar to longtime Brewers watchers. He is at a similar stage in his career to Andrew Vaughn when Milwaukee brought him in previously, and the club has shown before that it believes a fresh setting can unlock a player it thinks still has room to grow. Both Naylor and Heuer were optioned to Triple-A after the trade, so the next phase of this move will play out away from the majors while the Brewers see whether another deadline swing can produce the kind of turnaround they have chased before. [Read more 🡒]
Brewers Fans Just Got Another Trade Deadline Twist In Relief Market
Another familiar bullpen name is on the move at the deadline, and this one has a Milwaukee tie. Brent Suter, the left-handed reliever who recently faced his former club, has been dealt from the Angels to the Braves, according to ESPNs Jeff Passan, with Atlanta sending infielder Nacho Alvarez Jr. back the other way.
For Brewers fans, it adds another layer to a market that has already been buzzing around relief help. Suter is heading to a contender for the stretch run, and there is at least one more twist to monitor if the schedule lines up, because the Brewers could see him again when the Braves come to town later this month. [Read more 🡒]
Brewers Just Made A Staff Move Pat Murphy Really Needed
The Brewers have been looking for another layer of stability around a pitching staff that has had to keep adapting all year, and a recent move with St. Louis gives Pat Murphy another pair of arms to work with as the calendar turns toward the stretch run. It is the kind of trade that makes sense on Milwaukees side: add big-league help where it can matter most, while dealing from a deeper group of minor-league position players to make it happen.
For a club trying to piece together innings and shorten the distance from starter to endgame, the attraction is obvious. The shuffle also shows how much the Brewers value getting immediate pitching support without waiting on a prospect timeline, even if it costs them two outfielders who had been part of the organizations future depth. What comes next is the part Milwaukee will care about most: whether the new arrivals can settle in quickly enough to help right away. [Read more 🡒]