Brewers Minor League Link Report (4/1): RHP Nick Mears Pitches Scoreless 1 2/3 Frames in First Rehab Outing

[Joseph Zarr]

April Fools. Yes, here we are, and we're all Brewers fans in early 2025. I'm not going anywhere so hold my beer! Alas, fear not my friends, 1B/OF/LHP (and Cy Young candidate) Jake Bauers will save us. Let that in a tiny little bit but 100%. In a game where small samples are routinely thrown in the trash just as often as they are lofted to heavenly heights of praise, it's hard to fathom a more painful start to an early season than what we've collectively experienced to date. It got better in Brew Town. Unfortunately, it really did not get any better for any of us on the mid-day single game scoreboard: the Sounds were dominated in a 5-1 loss in game one at Gwinnett. Begrudgingly, let's get into the report!

Image courtesy of Brewer Fanatic

Transactions:

• RHP Nick Mears was sent on a rehab assignment to the Nashville Sounds by the Milwaukee Brewers
• RHP Evan McKendry was activated off the Development List by the Nashville Sounds
• C Johanderson Tarazona (FA signing in the 2025 International Class) was officially assigned to the DSL Brewers #2

(There are a proverbial slew of assignments and promotions that officially began yesterday. You can find them HERE. For a detailed run through the absolute file cabinet of moves on the last day of March travel HERE)

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The Sounds lost their opening Home series 1-2 to Jacksonville but they took home an award when RHP Jacob Misiorowski was awarded the International League's Pitcher of the Week. Congratulations, Jacob!

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Final: Gwinnett (Braves) 5, Nashville 1 

Via the Sounds' website, please be sure to click and read each of the affiliate write-ups as part of your season-long Link Report routine (believe me, it's worth it):

* There is no Post-Game article published on the Sounds website as of late evening PST so enjoy the Stripers post-game article from the other side of the Box Score*

Murphy's Blast Backs Waldrep as Stripers Earn First Win of 2025 - Waldrep K's 7; Murphy Blast Two-Run Homer

Box Score / Game Log

The Sounds suddenly have me nostalgic for 2024 Zebulon and Low-A Carolina: no Game Notes and no road post-game articles? Let's give the new crew a chance - we've been mighty spoiled for a mighty long time. I do look forward to those tasty nuggets whenever they should appear on my reporting nights.

LHP Bruce Zimmerman made his Brewers organizational debut and he'd likely want a mulligan. It's hard to last in any outing when you are sporting a WHIP above 3.00 but that is indeed what Zimmerman endured in his 3 1/3 IP of 6 H, 4 BB, 1 WP, 1 HB, 2 K, 2 HR, and 5 ER ball. Ouch!

Honestly, the fact he held it to five runs is a minor miracle and he can thank RHP Garrett Stallings for aiding him in that cause. Stallings came aboard with runners on the corners and only one down. He allowed a single run to cross on a ground out force out at second base.

Now, because I am occupied in full during my daughter's two week spring break during the daytime hours, I did not have an opportunity to watch this matinee (for me) game live. However, in future Zimmerman outings I will want to discover what his 'Unknown' pitch is he threw 44% of the time (33 of 75 total pitches). Baseball Savant, as of this Tuesday evening, has no velo; spin; or, well any actual data of his most prolifically thrown pitch. Zimmerman certainly appears to be a pitcher who can throw the proverbial kitchen sink at opposing hitters so there will naturally be a feeling out period here for the long-time Orioles farmhand. In his first outing, however, it appears he just didn't know where said sink would land. Let's attribute it to our fond early-season friend named 'rust'. 

Three Quick Strikes:

1) How exciting was the Sounds offensive output in this game one affair? Well, they mustered five pokes; 3 BB; and 1 HBP but they struck out a whopping 16 times.

C Jorge Alfaro added another two punch outs to his early season resume - he has yet to find a hit and is sporting both a 0.000 BA and a 0.000 OPS. That gets the ol' 12 AB early season shout out of 'Yikes, Jorge!' from this old farmer.

Thankfully, DH Wes Clarke managed to find his first two knocks of his young season. None the less, he struck out two more times and has now struck out six times in 12 AB.

Lead-off 3B Caleb Durbin managed a 2-for-4 game and hit his second double of his young season. Durbin has been a bright spot in what has been a mostly sluggish start for the Sounds bats through four contests. And, here is your lone charitable highlight:

2) As alluded to in the above headline, RHP Nick Mears saw his first live game action of 2025 since recovering from his Spring Training illness. His first stint was primarily fastballs (13) with a dash of sliders (2). He saw an average of 19 IVB and grabbed three swings and misses on the heater in nine swings. The heater sat 95 mph with a high of 95.6 mph. The slider sat 85.3, spun at an average of 2472, and came across the dish in typical Mearsian gyro-like fashion. 1 2/3 IP, 2 H, 1 K, 0 BB, and 0 R. 15 pitches thrown. 10 strikes. He did allow one 111.1 mph force out ground out to Anthony Seigler at second base and a 107 mph single. The double was a 77 mph bloop liner to left field. All told, this has to be seen as an encouraging first trip to the bump. 

3) With RHP Easton McGee going 2 1/3 IP scoreless (0 H, 1 BB, 2 K) to close the game, he gave his squad everything they needed to try and make a game of things.

And, in the top of the eighth frame the Sounds certainly had an opportunity to make things interesting. 3B Caleb Durbin opened with a lead-off double and Seigler followed with a walk to greet old friend, and current Stripers reliever, RHP Enoli Paredes. Speedy CF Jared Oliva was called out on strikes but Ernesto Martinez Jr. took a free pass to load the bags with only one down. The threat ended with a whimper when Alfaro (you may have guessed) struck out swinging and SS Raynel Delgado (3 K on the day) lined out weakly to the shortstop. 

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Game Two begins even earlier tomorrow (10:05 AM CST) so I'll continue on in my early season "I'm a dad!" induced blackout on the farm. Let's hope RHP Deivi García can find the plate early and often and help lead his fellow Sounds head back toward the win column. Until then, thanks for reading and thanks for supporting Brewers Minor League baseball.

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[Jim Goulart]

7 hours ago, Joseph Zarr said:

 

 

* There is no Post-Game article published on the Sounds website as of late evening PST so enjoy the Stripers post-game article from the other side of the Box Score*

 

Via the often-helpful "OurSportsCentral" Sounds page, where the game summary did make the cut:

Nashville Drops Opening Game of Road Trip in Gwinnett

[jay87shot]

I forgot about Mears in all the injuried arms. Good to see him start off strong, what would be a reasonable mlb time frame 2/3 more AAA appearances like 2 weeks.

It's good to see Durbin with a couple hits. 

[Jim Goulart]

Mears will be up when eligible on 4/11.