The Milwaukee Brewers and Tampa Bay Rays are both on the brink of franchise history, but the injury picture heading into the World Series still carries real consequences for both clubs.
For Tampa Bay, the biggest loss is Shane McClanahan. He is out with left forearm tightness, and that leaves the Rays without one of their most important starting pitchers when the games matter most.
In October, that kind of absence changes everything. McClanahan would have given Tampa Bay another proven arm for a tough assignment against Milwaukee’s lineup, but instead the Rays have to keep leaning on the pitchers who got them through the American League playoffs.
The Rays have already shown they can survive without him, yet there’s no getting around what his absence removes from the table. If this series goes deep, a trusted starter like McClanahan could have been a major difference-maker.
Tampa Bay also enters the series without Edwin Uceta, who is on the 60-day injured list. That trims the bullpen depth at exactly the wrong time, when every late-inning matchup can swing a game and every reliever matters. With Uceta unavailable, the Rays have one less arm to use when they’re trying to protect a lead or get out of trouble, and that can push more pressure onto the bullpen’s busiest pieces.
The Rays won’t have Gavin Lux either. He remains on the 60-day injured list with a shoulder injury and was not going to be added to the roster after missing the entire season.
Milwaukee has its own injury questions, and Brandon Woodruff is the one that looms largest. The veteran right-hander has been a fixture in the Brewers’ rotation for years, which makes his uncertain status especially tricky as the franchise prepares for its biggest series ever. A healthy Woodruff would give Milwaukee experience and another important pitching option against Tampa Bay.
But his surgically repaired shoulder leaves the decision complicated. Woodruff has been working toward a possible return, yet the Brewers have to balance the upside of carrying him with the risk of a setback.
If Milwaukee activates him and he is unable to pitch, there is not much room to recover from that mistake in a World Series roster. The team has to weigh health, availability and the practical reality of a short series all at once.
The Brewers also expect Quinn Priester to remain unavailable after season-ending surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome, taking another starting option off the board.
Angel Zerpa will miss the World Series as well. He had Tommy John surgery to repair a torn ligament in his left elbow, ending his season in April after Milwaukee acquired him from the Kansas City Royals to help the bullpen.
Grant Anderson is the one name here that still needs an update rather than a hard ruling. He was placed on the 15-day injured list with a biceps issue, but he was activated in late September, so his World Series status should be confirmed instead of assumed.
In Other News...
Rays Payroll Debate Just Got Harder To Ignore
The payroll conversation around the Rays has only gotten louder because the gap between Tampa Bay and the leagues heavy spenders keeps showing up in the standings and in October. The Brewers sit in the middle of the pack by comparison, but both clubs are still built around value, with most of the roster coming through on bargain contracts rather than the kind of high-priced core that has defined recent World Series winners.
For Tampa Bay, that model is still the defining feature of the roster, and it is easy to see why the debate keeps coming back whenever the playoff field gets smaller and the richest clubs remain in it. The Rays have been able to stay competitive by squeezing production from young, inexpensive talent and maximizing every dollar, but the broader question is whether that approach can keep matching up against teams that can simply absorb mistakes and add more impact talent when they need it. [Read more 🡒]
Rays Face A World Series Problem Their Speed May Not Solve
The Rays have made speed part of their identity all season, and that has carried straight into October. Tampa Bay and Milwaukee both pushed the running game to the front of the scouting report during the regular season, finishing first and second in stolen bases, and neither club has backed off in the playoffs. It figures to be one of the most interesting subplots of the World Series, especially with the Rays trying to use quickness as a way to create pressure in a matchup where every extra base can matter.
Chandler Simpson has been a central figure in that approach, giving Tampa Bay a true threat once he reaches. The bigger question is whether the Rays can also handle the other side of the equation, because Milwaukee comes in with a reputation for controlling the running game better than almost anyone. If Tampa Bay cannot keep that from becoming a factor, the Series may end up turning on whether its speed can create enough chaos to offset what the Brewers do best. [Read more 🡒]
Rays Fans Heading To The World Series Face A Brutal Parking Problem
With the World Series landing at Tropicana Field, the biggest headache for fans may not be inside the ballpark but outside it. Parking and transportation are expected to be a problem with large crowds converging on St. Petersburg, and local transportation companies say demand is already rising as they get ready for the event.
St. Pete Police are urging attendees to plan ahead and look at alternative ways to get there rather than counting on a simple drive-and-park routine. The advice is straightforward: give yourself extra time, consider rideshare or other transit options, and think about a drop-off plan before heading out, because getting in and out of the area is likely to be the part of the trip no one remembers fondly. [Read more 🡒]