After Another Uncompetitive Start, Robert Gasser is Out of the Rotation, But Brandon Sproat Has a Longer Leash

[Jack Stern]

Image courtesy of © Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

After a trio of young Brewers starting pitchers did not allow a run for three straight games, the tides turned over the weekend in a series loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers. In the last two games of the series, Milwaukee pitchers issued 17 walks and hit a batter. Robert Gasser and Brandon Sproat surrendered nine of those free passes, each failing to complete the fifth inning.

Gasser lost his temporary spot in the rotation after that outing, his second start since being recalled in Minneapolis last week. That short leash wasn't surprising, given how uncompetitive he looked in both appearances. In 8 ⅓ innings, Gasser walked 14.6% of opposing hitters and made additional mistakes that don't show up in a box score. He failed to back up home plate on what became a Little League home run in Minnesota, and the Brewers believe he tipped his pitches to runners on second base on Saturday.

"I'm not pleased with it," Gasser said on Saturday night of his recent big-league work. "This is a winning ball club, and I came in and [was] part of two losses. It's not ideal."

It's another unfortunate development for Gasser, who will turn 27 years old in a few days without a clear role in Milwaukee. That seemed unfathomable less than two years ago, when he debuted in 2024 with five solid starts, but he has not looked like a big-league pitcher since undergoing Tommy John surgery that summer.

Gasser showed in his first season that his three distinct fastballs and sweeping slider could deceive hitters from his low left-handed arm slot, but with a four-seamer and sinker that sit around 91 MPH, he must command his four best pitches and sequence them effectively. In sporadic opportunities, he hasn't done that. According to FanGraphs's Location+ (a metric that grades pitch location on a scale where 100 is average), Gasser's command has dropped from a passable 98 in 2024 to just 73 over the last two seasons.

There will be more opportunities for Gasser throughout the season if he throws well in Triple-A, but for now, he's put himself behind other pitchers on the depth chart. Coleman Crow showed excellent command (113 Location+) in two spot starts. He or a rehabbing Brandon Woodruff could soon slot back into the rotation, which won't need a fifth starter until June 2 due to Thursday's off day. Shane Drohan, who has used a full starter's pitch mix as an effective long reliever, also deserves to be ahead of Gasser for big-league starts.

Command also remains an issue for Sproat, who owns a 13.8% walk rate and has posted a 5.84 ERA, 5.57 FIP, and 4.38 SIERA in 10 outings. Saturday's start was the sixth outing in which he failed to complete a fifth inning as the bulk pitcher, and his sixth with at least three walks. While Sproat downplayed any specific pitch contributing to his struggles, he has struggled to establish his power sinker, throwing just 38% of them in the strike zone against the Dodgers.

"He's got a lot of three-ball counts," manager Pat Murphy said. "He's behind 2-and-0 a ton."

Unlike Gasser, Sproat has flashed enough upside to retain his rotation spot. His cutter, four-seamer, and breaking balls keep racking up swing and misses, and he struck out seven against a dangerous Los Angeles lineup. Most of his issues (high pitch counts, struggling to contain the big inning, and failing to maintain his velocity late into outings) are common for rookie starting pitchers.

"He's had a couple of rough outings, but in no way, shape, or form would I think we're considering getting him out of there," Murphy said, adding that the Brewers aren't merely "sticking with" Sproat, but believe in his current upside. "This guy's got a chance to be a high-end starter. He's a rookie, so rookies are going to go through that."

Sproat's lack of progress has become worth monitoring, but with Woodruff and Quinn Priester still on the shelf, the Brewers are a bit short on replacement starters. His stuff also warrants a few more opportunities before the club should consider a change.

"He's so good when he's good that it gives you hope," Murphy said.

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[Sugarrayray]

On top of the aforementioned command and control issues, Gasser’s stuff has just not looked as crisp. His time in the big leagues in 2024 he would occasionally hit 95 on his fastball when need be, now he seems to be topping out at 92. It’s sad that coming back from Tommy John has been so much harder for him than most people these days - he’s essentially almost two full years removed from it.

Alas, I have a lot of faith in the young man and think he is a smart and applied student of the game. I think he definitely has a future in a big league rotation. 

Regardless, if he can’t ever find that command, he should not have a problem becoming a better DL Hall in a relief role. Pairing a fastball that would probably be in the mid 90s, along with that slider from that arm angle in what would be short stints…..would be ghoooode. And be very tough on lefties.

I like the lad!

[cragi]

Gasser 2.0 just hasnt been there and Brewers have too much depth to mess with it. Sproat is effective in early innings, so there is plenty of room on the team if he isnt a starter this year.

[Brian]

Tipping your pitches is the quickest way to get sent down also I'd be really surprised if Gasser is 200 pounds.  He looked tiny out there on the mound. 

[cragi]

41 minutes ago, Brian said:

He looked tiny out there on the mound. 

optical illusion. I figured he was small also, but hes not

[Brian]

9 minutes ago, cragi said:

optical illusion. I figured he was small also, but hes not

6' and 197 is what he's listed at. The Milwaukee Brewers have officially been crowned the shortest team in the MLB for the 2026 season, repeating their distinction from recent years. With nearly a dozen position players on their active roster standing under 6 feet tall,