The Milwaukee Brewers have experienced significant misfortune regarding the health of their starting pitchers. Even before the season began, All-Star right-hander and perennial Cy Young contender Brandon Woodruff was ruled out for the year. Since then, Wade Miley and Robert Gasser have also been sidelined for the season, with Gasser initially stepping in to replace other injured starters.
Along with these three, the Brewers have also lost Joe Ross, Jakob Junis, and DL Hall to injuries. While Junis was recently reinstated, Ross and Hall remain on the injured list.
Despite these setbacks, the Brewers boast a 44-31 record and maintain a six-and-a-half game lead over the St. Louis Cardinals for the top spot in the National League Central Division. Additionally, Milwaukee is one of only four National League teams with a winning record this year.
To cope with the multitude of injuries, the Brewers have adopted creative and unconventional strategies for each game. Left-handed reliever Jared Koenig has made five starts as the team’s “opener,” typically pitching an inning before the scheduled starter takes over for five or six innings of relief. The Brewers have also relied on young minor league starters. Gasser had an outstanding rookie season until needing Tommy John surgery. Tobias Myers struggled initially but has since excelled, winning his last three starts. Carlos Rodriguez recently made his major league debut but has faced command issues.
Given their pitching woes, the Brewers are expected to seek starting pitching at the MLB trade deadline. However, former Brewers pitcher Seth McClung suggests they should consider signing controversial free agent Trevor Bauer. McClung believes Milwaukee, along with several other teams, should give Bauer a chance, despite his history of violating MLB’s domestic abuse and sexual assault policy. Bauer, who was never criminally charged, is now eligible to sign with any team, though it remains uncertain if any locker room is willing to accept him.
