Steve Drumwright

The Milwaukee Brewers' stolen base leader is back in the fold. Just what role he plays now is a question. Infielder David Hamilton was activated off the 10-day injured list Friday by the Brewers, with infielder Braden Shewmake designated for assignment. Hamilton went on the IL July 7 with a strained left hamstring after having to quickly stop and scurry back to second base in the game the day before. He played in two rehab games before being activated for the Brewers' series against the Colorado Rockies. Hamilton has been an offensive spark plug, putting up a slash line of .240/.317/.333 with three home runs, 15 RBIs and a team-high 18 stolen bases, while also being a good defender while seeing most of his time at third base. But that situation has changed with Joey Ortiz being more productive offensively at third base and rookie Cooper Pratt the full-time shortstop. Hamilton, in addition to backing up both of those positions, could give Brice Turang an occasional break at second base. Shewmake was acquired by the Brewers on July 12 after being DFA'd by the Houston Astros as he was seen as an upgrade over Greg Jones, who was DFA'd to make room for Shewmake. Shewmake appeared in just four games, going 2-for-7, with both hits coming in Saturday's 8-6 win over the Miami Marlins. His big moment was a double that started a four-run sixth-inning rally in which he also scored, then also singled and scored in a two-run seventh. He also had a sacrifice fly in the game.

Having already saved cash on all of their other signings in the first 10 rounds of the MLB Draft, the Milwaukee Brewers used some of that surplus on their second- and fourth-round selections. TCU center fielder Sawyer Strosnider signed with the Brewers for a bonus of $2.1 million, more than the slot value of $1,353,100, while California high school right-hander Julian Garcia received a bonus of $1.5 million, above the $585,700 slot vale. Per Brewer Fanatic's Draft Tracker, the Brewers used up most of the savings they had achieved on deals with six of their other picks in the first 10 rounds. Those deals leave the Brewers with $560,400 to give to other draft picks. Only two of their picks in the top 10 rounds have yet to sign: Clemson right-hander Aidan Knaak and Alabama high school right-hander Grant Hill. There were some questions about Strosnider's hitting ability caused him to fall from a probable first-round selection to the Brewers' pick at No. 66 overall. After putting up a slash line of .350/.420/.650 with 11 homers and 51 RBIs en route to being named Big 12 Conference Freshman of the Year in 2025, Strosnider followed that up with a .273/.415/.590 mark with 13 homers and 47 RBIs this spring. He does have the skillset to remain a center fielder, but also possesses an arm that would be suitable in right field.

With a short window in which to sign their draft picks, the Milwaukee Brewers have four more secured. A day after signing first-round selection Trey Ebel to an underslot bonus, third-round pick Kyle Jones and three other of their top 10 choices have their deals done, according to Baseball America. Ebel signed for $2.8 million, with the assigned slot value for the 21st overall pick at $3,696,000. Kyle Jones, a speedy center fielder who hit leadoff for Florida this spring, received a signing bonus of $675,000, slightly under the slot value of $770,600. The 6-foot-3, 190-pound Jones slashed .317/.418/.478 with 27 stolen bases for the Gators. The Brewers also came to terms with their eighth-, ninth- and 10-round selections, all for underslot. Corona Del Sol (Ariz.) High School first baseman Kellan Tom, picked in the eighth round, received a $175,000 bonus, coming in under the $220,400 value. Ninth-rounder Chase Mora, a right-hander out of Texas State, and 10th-rounder Andrew Gaines, a right-hander from St. Joseph's, each got bonuses of $50,000. The slot values for those two picks were $202,500 and $191,900. Combined with sixth-rounder Ryan Oshinskie, a right-hander from Brown who inked for $222,500 on Friday, the Brewers have signed six of the 20 draft picks, all in the first 10 rounds. The reported bonuses for those six checks in at $3,882,500, which is a savings of $1,532,100. The Brewers' bonus pool is $8,042,900, leaving them plenty of flexibility with their remaining draft selections. Picks in the 11th to 20 rounds can receive up to $150,000 without counting against the bonus pool. Draft picks have until July 27 to sign.

The Milwaukee Brewers will be without their starting right fielder for a while. Sal Frelick was put on the 10-day injured list Saturday by the Brewers due to a strained right (throwing) shoulder. Outfielder Blake Perkins was called up from Triple-A Nashville. Frelick was injured during Friday's 2-1 victory over the Miami Marlins. In the top of the fourth inning, Frelick made a throw from right field toward second base on a double by Otto Lopez that took several bounces to get there, not a throw you would expect from the 2024 Gold Glove winner. Manager Pat Murphy said after the game that Frelick had an issue with the should earlier in the season. He remained in on defense, but was replaced the next inning by rookie Luis Lara. Frelick has struggled offensively this season after being in contention for a batting title at the end of last year. He currently has a slash line of .236/.301/.330 with four homers and 34 RBIs, with six steals. Last season's slash line was .288/.351/.405. Perkins is a terrific defender, but has not been able to get going offensively, which led to him not originally making the Opening Day roster. He has only been called up due to injuries, with this being the third time. Perkins has a .157/.250/.258 slash line in 53 games with one homer and 11 RBIs.

One somewhat surprising move led to another somewhat surprising move. The Milwaukee Brewers on Friday activated right-handed starter Lance McCullers Jr., who was on the 15-day injured list at the time he was acquired Wednesday from the Houston Astros, and optioned veteran left-handed reliever Jared Koenig to Triple-A Nashville. McCullers had been on the IL since May 19 due to right shoulder inflammation. He had been due to make another rehab start Friday for the Astros' Double-A affiliate before the trade went down. McCullers is not scheduled to start any of the three games this weekend at home against the Miami Marlins. It is possible that he goes in one of the three games against the New York Mets to begin next week. A bullpen role feels unlikely as McCullers has made just three relief appearances since the 2020 season, with all three coming last year. A few days before his first Brewers appearance allows pitching coach Chris Hook to do a little work with McCullers. McCullers made eight starts this year before his IL stint, posting a 5.06 FIP (6.86 ERA) with a poor 12.8% walk rate and just-below-average 25% strikeout rate. Koenig has appeared in six games since returning from the 15-day IL with a sprained left elbow. While his first two outings went as expected, with a scoreless inning each, the final four have not. Koenig has allowed seven runs in 2⅔ innings on seven hits and five walk with two strikeouts. Five of those runs and five of those hits came in his last appearance Sunday in a 14-5 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates in which he did not record an out. Also, infielder-outfielder Greg Jones, who was designated for assignment Sunday and went unclaimed, was outrighted to Triple-A, but chose to become a free agent instead. Players can be outrighted once in their career before having the choice to become a free agent.

The Ebel brothers are officially Milwaukee Brewers teammates. Infielder Trey Ebel, the first-round pick (25th overall) by the Brewers in last weekend's MLB Draft, has signed with the Crew. MLB Pipeline's Jim Callis reported that Ebel signed for $2.8 million. That pick had an assigned slot value of $3,696,000, so the Brewers can use that nearly $900,000 on other picks. Ebel joins brother Brady Ebel, who was the 32nd overall pick in last year's draft and is now at High-A Wilson. Both played together at Corona on the same team as Pittsburgh Pirates prospect Seth Hernandez. The Ebels' father, Dino, is the thrid-base coach for the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Brewers also reportedly signed sixth-round selection Ryan Oshinskie, a right-hander out of Brown. Baseball America has Oshinskie signing for $222,500, an underslot deal. His slot value was $333,200. Like his brother, the 17-year-old Trey Ebel worked hard to become a top prospects. He has a good eye for the strike zone and had a career slash line of .345/.453/.596 with 12 homers and 77 RBIs. He walked 39 times, while striking out just 34. The 21-year-old Oshinskie broke out last summer during the Cape Cod League, with a 1.93 ERA and striking out 38 while walking seven. Ebel and Oshinskie are the only signed draft picks thus far.

For the third year in a row, the Milwaukee Brewers will open the 2027 season with an interleague series. That is, if the season starts as scheduled. The Crew will begin 2027 at American Family Field with a six-game homestand, starting with the season-opening series against the Los Angeles Angels. MLB announced the schedules for all 30 teams Thursday. The last time the Brewers and Angels squared off on Opening Day was 1996 at Anaheim Stadium. After those three games, the Brewers will host Atlanta for three games, then embark on a six-game interleague road trip against the Chicago White Sox (April 1-4, with a day off built in) and the Toronto Blue Jays (April 5-7). On March 24, there will be a single game to begin the season as there was this year between the San Francisco Giants and New York Yankees, with all of the other season-opening series happening on March 25, the earliest traditional Opening Day in MLB history. The first Brewers series against the NL Central rival Chicago Cubs will be at Wrigley Field on April 26-28, with Chicago making its first trip to Milwaukee on May 17-20. Next year's All-Star Game is at Wrigley Field on July 13. That game will be sandwiched around the Crew's longest road trip and longest homestand. Before the break, the Brewers will be on the road for 10 games against the Cincinnati Reds, Washington Nationals and Cleveland Guardians. After the break, the Brewers will be at home for 10 in a row against the Minnesota Twins, Detroit Tigers and Miami Marlins. The Brewers will wrap up the regular season with a six-game road trip against the St. Louis Cardinals and Texas Rangers. Four of the Brewers' final five series are against AL teams, with their final set against the Cubs coming Sept. 4-6 at American Family Field. The start of the season is in doubt due to a probable lockout by owners as the collective bargaining agreement expires Dec. 1.

The Milwaukee Brewers made a trade Wednesday, one that aims to help the team this year with a deep postseason run and in the next handful of seasons. The Brewers on Wednesday acquired right-handed starter Lance McCullers Jr. from the Houston Astros, according to MLB.com's Brian McTaggart. The Brewers are also getting left-hander Colton Gordon, a 2021 eighth-round draft choice, and cash in the deal. Minor-league infielder-outfielder Jadyn Fielder, son of former Brewers first baseman Prince Fielder, is the only player headed to the Astros. The Brewers are reportedly paying $2 million of the McCullers' remaining salary (around $7 million) on his $17.7 million this season. McCullers is set to be a free agent after the season. McCullers, a two-time World Series champion with the Astros who has missed all or significant chunks of four seasons due to injuries, had a partial no-trade clause in his contract as well as 10-and-5 rights, which he waived, according to Chandler Rome of The Athletic. The 10-and-5 rights is a player with 10 years of major-league service, including five years with his current team. The Brewers, who had one opening on their 40-man roster, transferred left-handed reliever Rob Zastryzny from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL to create room for both players. Potential 26-man roster moves loom before Friday's series opener against the Miami Marlins. While the 32-year-old McCullers is currently on the 15-day injured list with right shoulder inflammation, he was scheduled to make a fourth rehab appearance with the Astros' Double-A team Friday, when the minor-league season also resumes. The Brewers could continue his rehab assignment, which began June 25. McCullers last appeared in an MLB game May 13 and went on the IL shortly thereafter. In eight starts this season, McCullers has pitched 39⅓ innings with a 5.06 FIP (6.86 ERA) with a 12.8% walk rate and 25% strikeout rate. For his career, McCullers has a 10.3% walk rate and 26.1% strikeout rate (MLB averages are 8.4% and 22%). While McCullers won't slot near the top of the Brewers' rotation behind right-hander Jacob Misiorowski, what the Brewers covet from the veteran is his postseason experience. McCullers has made 12 starts and seven relief appearances for the Astros, who made trips to the postseason every year except 2016 and 2025 since McCullers made his MLB debut in 2015. That includes starting Game 7 of the 2017 World Series. In the postseason, McCullers has a 4.96 FIP (3.47 ERA). Injuries are also part of McCullers' story. He had Tommy John surgery following the 2018 season, missing all of 2019 and appearing in only three games of the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign. McCullers didn't make his 2022 debut until August due to a right flexor tendon injury. He had his right flexor tendon repaired in June 2023, then had a setback in July 2024 that kept him out of that entire season. He came back to make 13 starts and three relief appearances in 2025, posting a 5.77 FIP (6.51 ERA) in 55⅓ innings. The 27-year-old Gordon had made 24 major-league appearances over the last two seasons with the Astros, including 15 starts. In 95⅓ innings, he has a 5.86 FIP (5.95 ERA) with a 5.1% walk rate and 22% strikeout rate. At Triple-A this year, Gordon pitched in 14 games, all but one a start, with a 4.46 ERA in 70⅔ innings, with a 4.7% walk rate and 18.6% strikeout rate. The 21-year-old Fielder, signed as an undrafted free agent in 2024, was playing at High-A Wilson, where he had a .233/.415/.398 slash line with three homers, 23 RBIs and 10 stolen bases in 45 games. Thanks to @patrickgpe for starting the thread.

The 2026 Bryse Wilson tour is making a stop in Milwaukee. The right-handed reliever signed a major-league contract with the Milwaukee Brewers on Friday. Left-handed reliever Drew Rom was optioned to Triple-A Nashville and right-handed reliever Easton McGee was designated for assignment. Not only is Wilson back with the Brewers for a second time in his career, but Milwaukee marks his third team in the past three weeks. Wilson was designated for assignment by the Philadelphia Phillies on June 22, then claimed off waivers by the Chicago Cubs two days later. The Cubs then DFA'd Wilson on Saturday and he went unclaimed and chose to become a free agent. Now he is with the Brewers, the team he pitched for in the 2023 and 2024 seasons. As a former starter, Wilson provides length out of the bullpen. He has made just three relief appearances in the majors since being called up by the Phillies on June 18 after he triggered an upward-mobility clause in his contract. Wilson has pitched 9⅔ innings, allowing seven runs on 13 hits with two walks and eight strikeouts. No doubt he is looking to rediscover the magic he found with the Brewers, when he made 87 appearances (nine starts) over 181⅓ innings, posting a 4.68 FIP (3.42 ERA) with a 7% walk rate and 18.9% strikeout rate. Rom made five appearances with the Crew, going 5⅔ innings, walking four (14.8%) and striking out 11 (40.7%). McGee was on the verge of making the Brewers' Opening Day roster when they acquired Jake Woodford in a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays. Instead, McGee was optioned to Triple-A, where he has spent most of the season. He was called up twice and made two appearances, allowing no runs on one hit with one walk and one strikeout.

While a lot of Milwaukee Brewers fans might be clamoring for more punch in the offense, one of baseball's top insiders has identified another need for the Crew. Playoff-caliber starting pitching, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan. One of the reasons for needing starting pitching is the new shoulder injury to right-hander Brandon Woodruff, while right-hander Logan Henderson just returned Thursday from a stay on the injured list with a back issue. As Passan sorts through all of the contenders, he made two choices for each club. One was a best-match trade addition, the other was a dream pickup. The best match, Passan says, is the Brewers connecting with their old front-office boss David Stearns with the New York Mets and acquiring right-handed starter Clay Holmes. Having recently returned from a broken right leg 2.39 ERA (3.19 FIP) in 52⅔ innings with an 8.4% walk rate and 20.9% strikeout rate. But it is Holmes' experience as a postseason reliever in 2021, 2022 and 2024 that could help push the Crew over the top. Holmes also fits financially as he is making $12 million this year and $13 million next year. But in a dream scenario, the Brewers would grab Minnesota Twins right-handed starter Joe Ryan. Ryan has ace qualities that would pair very nicely with Brewers right-hander Jacob Misiorowski, the MLB leader in strikeouts (167) and ERA (1.62). Ryan has a 2.65 ERA (2.83 FIP) in 19 starts, having already logged 104⅓ innings. Ryan has a 5.4% walk rate and 28.8% strikeout rate. Ryan, making $6.1 million this year, would be more of a rental as he has a mutual option for 2027. Mutual options are almost always declined. The Brewers certainly have the prospects to get either deal done.

The Milwaukee Brewers have one of their key arms back. Right-hander Logan Henderson was activated from the 15-day injured list and will start for the Brewers in Thursday's series finale against the St. Louis Cardinals. Right-hander Garrett Stallings was optioned to Triple-A Nashville. Henderson has been out since late May with a strained lower back. Henderson was not on the Opening Day roster and then made an early spot start before coming up again in early May. Overall, he has made five starts and pitched 23 innings, with a 2.42 FIP (2.74 ERA) along with a 6.7% walk rate and 33.3% strikeout rate. If Henderson goes 2⅓ innings today, he will match the number of innings he pitched last year with the Brewers in his MLB debut season. Henderson also returns to the rotation as the Brewers have lost veteran right-hander Brandon Woodruff, who is considering shoulder surgery with a new injury. Stallings made two appearances since being called up June 30, including his MLB debut. In those two outings, Stallings pitched two scoreless innings, allowing a hit, walking one and striking out four.

In a move made about 30 minutes before the first pitch of Tuesday's doubleheader, the Milwaukee Brewers placed infielder David Hamilton on the 10-day injured list with a strained left hamstring. Infielder-outfielder Greg Jones had his contract selected from Triple-A Nashville and outfielder Brandon Lockridge (right knee laceration) was transferred to the 60-day injured list. The Brewers also sent right-handed pitcher Carlos Rodriguez (right shoulder impingement) on a rehab assignment to Nashville. Hamilton was injured in Monday's series opener against the St. Louis Cardinals as he rounded second base and stopped suddenly to go back to the bag instead of advancing to third base. Hamilton and his speed have been an integral part of the Brewers' offense despite a subpar .240/.317/.333 slash line. He has hit three homers and driven in 15 in 74 games, while stealing a team-high 18 bases. Jones is up for the second time this season. He appeared in 11 games and went 2-for-21. Jones has the ability to play infield, which would cover for Hamilton's absence, as well as the outfield.

Following his signing a long-term contract extension last month, Luis Lara has been called up to make his MLB debut. The Brewers on Tuesday promoted Lara, Brewer Fanatic's No. 4 prospect, from Triple-A Nashville and sent center fielder Blake Perkins back to Triple-A. Lara will make his debut in Tuesday's doubleheader against the St. Louis Cardinals. The Brewers also called up left-handed starter Robert Gasser from Nashville as the extra player for the doubleheader. Lara, a 21-year-old switch-hitting center fielder, a seven-year, $31 million extension on June 9. He was the second top prospect at the time to ink a long-term deal with the Brewers while still in the minors, joining shortstop Cooper Pratt. Pratt, who signed his deal in April, was promoted about a week after Lara got his deal finalized. In his first season at Triple-A, Lara has had a breakthrough season offensively. He has a .321/.432/.470 slash line with career highs of nine homers and 42 RBIs in 78 games with still about half a season to play. Lara had never hit better than .286 (2023), hit more than four homers (2024) or driven in more than 41 runs (2024) before this year. Lara won a minor-league Gold Glove last year for his defense in center field and also is a speed threat on the bases, having swiped 24 in 31 tries this year. Perkins did not make the Brewers' Opening Day roster and has been called up twice, yet has not been able to get going offensively. Perkins has a slash line of .157/.250/.258 in 53 games with one homer, 11 RBIs and three stolen bases.