Brewers Video
Other people's clocks keep running out on Logan Henderson. The rookie righthander couldn't do much more for the Brewers than he has, with a 1.71 ERA across his first four big-league starts, but time and again, he's been sent right back to Nashville. The righty with 29 strikeouts and six walks in 81 batters faced gets jettisoned, this time, for the consistently inconsistent DL Hall, whose rehab clock was drawing near its endpoint after three weeks on assignments in Arizona and Nashville. Hall is, of course, a talented and vaguely intriguing pitcher, but his results haven't matched the upside the Brewers so prized when they traded for him before the 2024 campaign, and he's not ready to contribute the volume of a starting pitcher at the big-league level.
Henderson's spot in the starting rotation seems destined to be taken by Brandon Woodruff, when next it comes around. That would be a welcome sight, from an emotional standpoint, for a team longing as much for leadership and a sense of normalcy as for starting pitchers themselves. Still, Henderson's demotion will be unwelcome news to many fans, since he's been the most consistent hurler anywhere on Milwaukee's staff (save arguably Jared Koenig) when called upon this year. His development has continued impressively, but it seems to be doing so as much despite the organization's treatment of him as because of it.
The alternative possibility tantalizing enough to distract from any frustration about this, of course, is that Jacob Misiorowski could be ticketed for his big-league debut soon. Misiorowski has been excellent for a prolonged period in the minors and earned his chance to help the parent club, but a combination of rain and the need to squeeze in various rehab outings shortened his most recent appearance with the Sounds. If this move is the precursor to promoting Misiorowski (and if it eventually leads to both righties helping Freddy Peralta anchor Milwaukee's rotation), everyone will quickly get on board. For now, though, it's caused some vexation throughout the Brewers fan base.
There's one other element to consider here, though. Because they've been beset by so many injuries that (often) finding five healthy starters they trust has been a challenge, the Brewers have used starters on four days' rest 23 times through Sunday. It will be 24 after Chad Patrick's start Monday against the Red Sox. Only the Royals have used starters on what is traditionally called "regular rest" more often on the young season. The rival Cubs have only had 11 such starts; the Dodgers have a whopping two (2). In the modern game, five days is closer to a true "regular" rest schedule, and Brewers starters are rarely enjoying it. With Peralta dealing with a groin problem and so many other pitchers either banged-up or learning to start successfully in the majors for the first time, it seems to make a world of sense to turn to a six-man rotation.
Pat Murphy's preference, throughout his tenure with the team, has been to be exceptionally aggressive with his bullpen, including and especially by pulling starters early. That makes the idea of a six-man rotation and a seven-man bullpen daunting. If Murphy is willing and able to adapt his game management, though, the team could fit Peralta, Patrick, Henderson, Misiorowski, Woodruff, Quinn Priester, Aaron Civale, and the soon-to-return Jose Quintana into a rotation picture together just fine. More rest between starts would do several of them good, and a few extra outs per game from the starter could be the recipe for holding this bullpen together the rest of the way.
Even so, that's eight names for six starting jobs, so someone will be squeezed out unless and until someone else gets hurt. That's ok. It might be Henderson, and that's ok, too. For a short time, however, fans are right to raise an eyebrow at the choice to send down a starter who has looked as good as anyone in the rotation, at a time when the team needs to string together some wins and make up for lost time in the race for the playoffs.
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