The Brewers breathed a little easier after Dustin May’s scare against the Mets, and it sounds like the veteran right-hander is on track to take the mound again sooner rather than later.
May was knocked out of his outing after just one pitch when a line drive came right back at him. He went down early, and for a moment there was real concern about how long he might be out. He wasn’t struck in the head, which helped ease the immediate worry, but a shot like that can still leave a pitcher with a serious injury.
For now, though, the signs are encouraging. “Dustin May is penciled in to start Sunday, Murph said. And Robert Gasser will stay in May’s spot,” Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reported on Friday evening.
That lines up with how the Brewers can handle the situation after the 8-1 win over New York. With May’s Mets appearance ending almost immediately, Milwaukee has the flexibility to send him right back out there.
If everything holds, May will start the series finale against the Texas Rangers. After that, the Brewers move into a four-game set with the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field, and Gasser is lined up for the second game of that series on Tuesday.
Milwaukee enters that stretch in strong shape. The Brewers have a seven and a half game lead over the Cubs in the NL Central as the regular season winds down, and that advantage could widen even more before September arrives.
In Other News...
Brewers Fans May Not Like What September Means For Top Prospects
September brings the usual roster squeeze relief, with MLB clubs able to expand from 26 to 28 players for the final month. For Brewers fans, that always sparks the same hope: a chance to see some of the organizations most intriguing young talent in Milwaukee before the season ends. Shortstop Jess Made and corner infielder Andrew Fischer are among the names that get people talking, especially with the Brewers carrying a farm system that has given the front office plenty to think about.
The problem is that a September call-up is not always a true preview of what is coming next. Milwaukee is expected to be cautious with both players, and the more likely path is to keep their development on track rather than push them toward the majors too early. With roster rules also capping teams at 14 pitchers, the Brewers will have some flexibility in how they use the extra spots, but not enough to turn the month into a full-on prospect showcase. [Read more 🡒]
Pat Murphys Toughest Brewers Standard Is Sparking A Fan Debate
Pat Murphy has spent the past two seasons showing that success in Milwaukee is not just about talent, but about earning every inning and every roster spot. The Brewers manager has been praised for guiding a young group to back-to-back Manager of the Year awards, and his way of handling that group has been just as notable as the results. When Murphy has benched or demoted players such as Sal Frelick, Caleb Durbin, and Brandon Sproat, it has been less about punishment than about reinforcing the standards he wants from a team built to play clean, disciplined baseball.
Still, the approach can cut both ways, which is where the fan debate starts to get louder. Murphy has leaned into those tough calls because he believes they sharpen the roster and keep the Brewers competitive, but every move like that also tests how much patience a clubhouse and its supporters have for a manager who is willing to make an example out of even young, promising players. For a team trying to stay sharp over the long haul, the question is whether that edge becomes a strength or a source of friction. [Read more 🡒]
Brewers Could Be Pulled Into MLBs Biggest Spending Debate
Milwaukees payroll picture has quietly become part of one of baseballs loudest arguments. At roughly $143.6 million, the Brewers sit below the proposed MLB salary floor of $171.2 million, a number that would matter a whole lot more if owners and players ever turned the current spending debate into an actual cap-and-floor system. For a franchise that has long made a habit of competing without spending like a big-market juggernaut, it is another reminder that its operating model could look very different in a new labor landscape.
The Brewers have built real success around efficiency, not brute-force payroll, and that is exactly why they keep showing up in these conversations. A floor would force Milwaukee to spend more just to stay in compliance, even as the larger fight around salary caps remains far from settled. For now, the club is still playing by the old rules, but the broader debate has a way of putting teams like the Brewers right in the middle of baseballs next big financial test. [Read more 🡒]