Brewers Send Brandon Sproat To Triple-A To Iron Out Issues

[Steve Drumwright]

 

The Milwaukee Brewers are giving right-handed starter Brandon Sproat a chance to reset, but it will be in the minors.

Following another rocky start Monday, Sproat was optioned to Triple-A Nashville on Tuesday by the Brewers. Right-handed reliever Garrett Stallings also went to Nashville as the Brewers added right-handers Dustin May and Antonio Senzatela, two of the three players acquired in trades the day before, to the 26-man roster.

They were already on the 40-man roster, which had room following the trade of right-handed reliever Codi Heuer to the Baltimore Orioles and right-handed starter Carlos Rodriguez was designated for assignment on Monday. Left-handed reliever JoJo Romero, the other player acquired Monday, was placed on the 15-day injured list, which is where he was with the St. Louis Cardinals, after having an appendectomy in mid-July.

We've made the following moves

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— Milwaukee Brewers (@brewersbot.bsky.social) August 4, 2026 at 12:59 PM

Sproat gave up five hits and walked two while allowing four runs and striking out four in three-plus innings of a 4-3 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates. He has given up 12 runs over 16⅔ in his last four starts with 11 walks. He also has 16 walks over his previous six outings. Sproat's pitches have tremendous movement and he has lost the ability to manage that part of his game. Now he will go to Nashville and be in a less-pressurized environment with an eye on returning for the stretch drive and the postseason.

 

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[BrewerFan]

I think this is a good move. I also think he could come back and be an exceptional reliever. Someone who can go 2-3 innings in the post-season.. IF he can figure it out a bit. 

Yesterday, the two soft singles, then... a walk. You can't do that. 
Then he gives in and there are 3 runs. 

[Lathund]

I think that with his stuff, even marginally better command makes him a viable MLB player. The harder part to figure out might be the inconsistency, or how one mistake seemingly becomes a second, and a third. 

I think the best way to use him in AAA would still be to keep him reasonably stretched out, but coming in as a reliever, to see how he handles that routine. 

[kestrel79]

I like him resting a bit and figuring it out in AAA, and he rejoins the team in Sept for the playoffs and comes out of the pen as a 2-3 inning guy. Just needs to throw strikes a little more and harness the awesome stuff.

[nate82]

They sent him to the wrong minor league affiliation.  They need to fix his delivery and work on getting it consistent.  He should have gone down to the AZ complex to work on that in the pitching lab.  I understand they want to keep building his innings but his mechanics have been out of sync for a while now.  That needs to be fixed first IMO.

[DonBarclay]

I don’t think he should be anywhere near a playoff roster. Your bullpen really shrinks in the postseason, and he’s not earned that spot at all. Come back next season ready to succeed in the rotation. 

[BrewerFan]

11 hours ago, DonBarclay said:

I don’t think he should be anywhere near a playoff roster. Your bullpen really shrinks in the postseason, and he’s not earned that spot at all. Come back next season ready to succeed in the rotation. 

We have a while yet. I think he can still earn it and I really think he could fit in as a long reliever even better. 

 

 

13 hours ago, kestrel79 said:

I like him resting a bit and figuring it out in AAA, and he rejoins the team in Sept for the playoffs and comes out of the pen as a 2-3 inning guy. Just needs to throw strikes a little more and harness the awesome stuff.

I agree, but even if the first half of this post is wrong and he's not ready to help the Brewers in the post-season, I still love his stuff and upside. It's not a great 1 for 1 comp... and I've said it like 20 times(literally) but this has the feeling of Burnes in 2019. 

Doesn't mean he'll become as good as Burnes, but his stuff is such that it's not a crazy idea. I think he could become a #2-3 pitcher for us, part of the new trio with Mis, Harrison and Sproat... 

[CheezWizHed]

13 hours ago, BrewerFan said:

I agree, but even if the first half of this post is wrong and he's not ready to help the Brewers in the post-season, I still love his stuff and upside. It's not a great 1 for 1 comp... and I've said it like 20 times(literally) but this has the feeling of Burnes in 2019. 

I've had that vibe from Sproat also... but I also get Ashby vibes; relegated to the BP and can be great or terrible while never being terribly consistent because they can't always control their stuff. 

[JohnBriggs12]

Great stuff but no command.  He's not the first and won't be the last.  He had a nice long runway to show improvement.  How many unproven guys get 4 uninterrupted months in a major league rotation when there's been no progress?  He's not pitching in Coors.  He's got an above average defense behind him.  He turns 26 next month.  What's his excuse?  This is the top level of the sport.  He's had more front office support than most players because he was a key piece in a big offseason deal they made.  It's put up or shut up time.  The postseason looms.  There's big series looming against a hot Cubs team that's still within range.  

September callup?  Why?  They have a 6 man rotation right now and are a bullpen arm short.  That spot is reserved for Grant Anderson, who might not be a guy you want in a big moment, but has performed at an acceptable major league level for quite a while.

Give Sproat a mental break till next spring and hope that helps.

[DonBarclay]

35 minutes ago, JohnBriggs12 said:

September callup?  Why?  They have a 6 man rotation right now and are a bullpen arm short.  That spot is reserved for Grant Anderson, who might not be a guy you want in a big moment, but has performed at an acceptable major league level for quite a while.

Jojo Romero will be up too. Anderson is buried a bit, only an injury type replacement after the deadline moves. And you shrink your staff for the postseason, so even if you could argue to call Sproat up in September for the bullpen (and I don’t think you can), he’s not making a playoff roster. 

Let him work on stuff in AAA and come back in 2027. There’s actually zero reason for him to be back up this year. If two starters were to go down, they should call up Crow before Sproat. 

[Trail]

Lets not forget that Stallings performed well during his stay.  Ya...let Sproat work it out in Nashville for the rest of '26.  The pitching lab will have all winter to help him figure things out.