Steve Drumwright

Image courtesy of © Dave Kallmann / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images As many managers and front-office leaders will say, the Opening Day roster is good for exactly one day. But it is also a significant achievement for players who have never started a season on an MLB roster. The Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday revealed the 26 players who will line up along the baselines and be introduced to the American Family Field sellout crowd on Thursday before taking on the Chicago White Sox (1:10 p.m. CT first pitch). As part of that, the Crew had to make several moves to get down to that number. Here is what the Brewers did (all 15-day injured list moves are retroactive to Sunday): Optioned right-handed reliever Easton McGee to Triple-A Nashville. Right-handed starter Quinn Priester (right thoracic outlet syndrome) was placed on the 15-day IL. Right-handed reliever Craig Yoho (strained right calf) was placed on the 15-day IL. Left-handed Rob Zastryzny (strained left shoulder) on the 15-day IL. Outfielder Steward Berroa (strained right shoulder) was placed on the 15-day IL. Confirmed the previously announced move of outfielder Akil Baddoo (strained left quad) to the 60-day IL. That is the bad news. Here is the good news: Making their first Opening Day roster are Jacob Misiorowski, Brandon Sproat, and Grant Anderson. Milwaukee Brewers (@brewers) • Instagram photo WWW.INSTAGRAM.COM 6,073 likes, 102 comments - brewers on March 25, 2026: "Now presenting your 2026 Milwaukee Brewers ‼️". Starting rotation (5) Jacob Misiorowski, RH Chad Patrick, RH Brandon Sproat, RH Kyle Harrison, LH Brandon Woodruff, RH The only question was if Woodruff would be healthy enough to begin the season or have to go on the IL for a brief time. Worries cropped up with a big drop in velocity in the fourth inning of this last spring start, but he will continue his comeback from a lat injury in the majors. Expect short outings to begin the season. Misiorowski starts Opening Day after making his MLB debut in June. There is plenty of talent here, but also lots of inexperience outside of Woodruff. Sproat is the Freddy Peralta replacement, coming over in the trade with the New York Mets. Bullpen (8) Trevor Megill, RH Abner Uribe, RH Angel Zerpa Aaron Ashby, LH Jared Koenig, LH DL Hall, LH Grant Anderson, RH Jake Woodford, RH Woodford joined the team on Tuesday in a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays, which cost McGee a spot on the Opening Day roster. Megill and Uribe are a terrific 1-2 punch at the back end, and now get support from Zerpa, who came over from the Kansas City Royals via trade. The depth is very good here. Catcher (2) William Contreras Gary Sanchez Contreras had offseason surgery on the middle finger of his catching hand, an injury that happened late in the 2024 season and plagued him throughout 2025. He could be an MVP candidate as he begins the season healthy. Infield (6) Andrew Vaughn, 1B Brice Turang, 2B Luis Rengifo, 3B Joey Ortiz, SS Jake Bauers, 1B-OF David Hamilton, IF Rengifo takes over at third base following the trade of Caleb Durbin to the Boston Red Sox. Can he get back to his pre-injury 2024 form? Vaughn begins his first full season with the Crew after making a splash following his trade from the White Sox during the 2025 season. Ortiz has a fresh start after a frustrating offensive showing in 2025, his first as the Brewers' starting shortstop. Outfield (5) Christian Yelich, LF Jackson Chourio, LF Garrett Mitchell, CF Sal Frelick, RF Brandon Lockridge, CF Mitchell is looking to stay healthy and showcase the skills that led the Brewers to draft him in the first round in 2020. If he can, this could be a pretty productive group offensively, with Yelich at designated hitter. Chourio, just two weeks after turning 22, has shown the floor to his game is 20 homers and 20 stolen bases. He is the youngest player in MLB history to have back-to-back 20-20 seasons. This will be a standout defensive group regardless. View full article

Image courtesy of © Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images The always-tinkering Milwaukee Brewers made a surprising move less than 48 hours before Opening Day, acquiring right-hander Jake Woodford from the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for right-hander K.C. Hunt, a prospect, and cash. Woodford is coming off a 2025 in which he made 22 relief appearances for the Arizona Diamondbacks, his fourth team of the year. The 29-year-old signed a minor-league contract with the Rays in November and was a non-roster invite to spring training. Woodford had an upward mobility clause in his deal that had a deadline of Tuesday to be triggered. That mean he at least be added to the 40-man roster or Tampa Bay had to allow him to move to another team that offered that opportunity. That ended up being the Brewers. Woodford, who has started 25 of his 111 career appearances since making his MLB debut in 2020, He started twice in his four Grapefruit League appearances, allowing one run on four hits with two walks and five strikeouts in 7⅓ innings. To make room for Woodford on the 40-man roster, Akil Baddoo was transferred to the 60-day injured list. Baddoo, who signed a split contract contract with the Crew this offseason, has been battling a strained left quad in spring training and is not expected to be ready until June. Woodford not only gives the Brewers another reliever who can go multiple innings, but he offsets the wealth of left-handers in the bullpen. This move could mean that right-hander Easton McGee will be bumped off the Opening Day roster. McGee has 11 career appearances over the last four years with the Rays, Seattle Mariners and Brewers. That length out of the bullpen, along with left-handers Aaron Ashby and DL Hall, adds to the coverage the Brewers will need at least early due to Brandon Woodruff, who is still building up following a lat injury late in 2025, not fully stretched out. In fact, in Woodruff's last Cactus League start, he looked good for three innings before a significant velocity drop in the fourth inning. Woodford certainly made the rounds in 2025. He signed a minor-league deal with the Colorado Rockies in January, was released in March and latched on with the New York Yankees a few days later. That lasted until June 1, when he was again sent packing, but quickly found a new home with the Chicago Cubs. Woodford made it to July 1 before being released for a third time, then signing a major-league deal with the D'backs the next day. To cap the season off, he was designated for assignment with a week to left to play. With the D'backs, Woodford notched a 4.26 FIP (6.44 ERA), with a good 7.6% walk rate, right at his career average, and a substandard 13.5% strikeout rate. Woodford, who played his first four seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals, has a career strikeout rate of 14.9%, still far below the league average of 22.7%. Woodford has a five-pitch arsenal, led by a 93.3 mph sinker and an 81.1 mph sweeper that contributed to his 45.8% groundball rate in 2025. He does a nice job at limiting hard contact. He posted a 33.6% hard-hit percentage and an 86.1 mph average exit velocity, both excellent numbers. Woodford also uses a 86.5 mph changeup, 93.1 mph four-seam fastball and 89 mph cutter. For his career, Woodford has a 4.84 FIP. Hunt, a 25-year-old who was a 12th-round draft choice of the Pirates in 2022 but didn't sign, joined the Brewers as a nondrafted free agent in 2023. He was promoted to Double-A Biloxi during the 2024 season and pitched for the Shuckers for all of 2025. Hunt made 26 starts last year, with a 4.45 ERA, 43 walks and 122 strikeouts in 121⅓ innings. View full article

Image courtesy of © Dave Kallmann / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images With their time in Arizona over and the Milwaukee Brewers returning to Wisconsin after more than a month of the desert warmth, it's time to reflect on what took place over the last six weeks. The biggest thing to note is that the Brewers appear to be pretty healthy going into Opening Day, which is Thursday at American Family Field against the Chicago White Sox. They're dealing with injuries, to be sure, but they're relatively few and minor, compared to other teams. Let's take a look at what happened in Arizona, picking out one starting pitcher, one reliever and one hitter who had good and bad springs. Who's Hot? ? Jake Bauers If you have an OPS of more than 1.700, you are simply en fuego. Welcome to the world of Bauers this spring. The first baseman/left fielder put together a slash line of .471/.581/1.147. How does that happen? Bauers, who came to life late in the 2025 season to provide an unexpected spark, went 16-for-34 with 6 homers and 8 RBIs. He walked seven times and struck out seven times. His 16 hits tied him with Andrew Vaughn for the most on the Crew, while the half-dozen homers led the team, and his walks were tied for second-most. He and Vaughn will share time at first base in the early going. Aaron Ashby Let the speculation continue. Of all of the Crew's pitchers who made multiple starts this spring, Ashby performed the best. A stalwart of the bullpen in recent years, this spring has once again raised the specter of Ashby being part of the rotation. In four games, including two starts, Ashby had a 1.17 ERA over 7⅔ innings, walking five and striking out eight. Ashby could be in line for more of a hybrid role this season, perhaps piggybacking with Brandon Woodruff as the grizzled right-hander slowly builds up his velocity and endurance. Ashby's versatility could be one of the most important aspects of the pitching staff this season. Jacob Waguespeck The skyscraping righty is one of those Brewers finds. Having spent 2022 and 2023 in Japan, he returned to the U.S. and joined the Tampa Bay Rays, pitching in an MLB game for the first time since 2020. But that only lasted four games, and he spent most of the year in the minors. That is also where he was most of 2025, when he dealt with injuries, a midseason release and then joining the Philadelphia Phillies. He latched on with the Crew this spring, and the 32-year-old turned in a 1.17 ERA in tying for the team lead with seven appearances. Waguespeck allowed three hits and two walks against seven strikeouts in 7⅔ innings to put himself in position to be a call-up this season. Who's Cold? ? Garrett Mitchell The center fielder had horrible numbers in camp, going 2-for-32 (.063/.189/.188) with 1 homer and 4 RBIs. On top of that, he struck out in 15 of the 30 at-bats in which he did not get a hit. Mitchell did draw a respectable five walks, at least. Even with those poor numbers, the 2020 first-round draft choice was given a spot on the Opening Day roster. Perhaps that's because of the talent he's shown (when healthy) in his three-plus seasons with the Crew. The obvious problem, though, is that Mitchell only played in 113 of 468 games from 2023-25. He flashes enormous potential when available, but various injuries have kept him from consistently showing his skills. Chad Patrick Figuring out why a pitcher struggles in spring training can be a futile effort. Sometimes a guy is working on a specific mechanical cue or tinkering with a grip to get things just right for the regular season. Is that what was going on with Patrick this spring? He capped Cactus League play by surrendering seven runs while reaching 87 pitches Sunday against the Chicago Cubs. As a caveat, Patrick was the only player from major-league camp who was left in Arizona as the team traveled back to Milwaukee. Still, he lasted just four innings, giving up six hits and two walks, while striking out four. It wasn't his only poor statistical outing, as he gave up six runs in his previous start to finish Cactus League play with an 11.68 ERA, including 8 walks in 12⅓ innings. Mark Manfredi We'll give the 2023 ninth-round draft choice a mulligan, considering this was his first major-league camp experience. Even so, the 26-year-old left-hander has progressed through the system quickly, spending 2024 at High-A Wisconsin and 2025 at Double-A Biloxi, notching a 3.30 ERA in 44 appearances and 60 innings. Given a shot to make an impression this spring, Manfredi appeared in five games and allowed four runs over four innings. He walked five and struck out five. It will be something to work off of in 2026, but for a guy on the old side to still be considered a prospect, it wasn't quite the springboard for which he might have hoped. View full article

Image courtesy of © Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images The clock is ticking down for the Milwaukee Brewers toward Opening Day. Some guys are in a groove, while others are still looking to get untracked. There are just three games left in Arizona before the Brewers host the Cincinnati Reds for two exhibition games at American Family Field on Monday and Tuesday. As a reminder: Don't take anything too seriously in this recap. It is only spring training, where exhibition games often devolve into minor-league scrimmages. The information below is meant as basic information, not necessarily hardcore analysis. The Brewers are 11-14 in Cactus League play after beating the Los Angeles Dodgers 24-9 Monday, then dropping a pair of split-squad games Wednesday to the Seattle Mariners 7-3 and the Los Angeles Angels before beating the Texas Rangers 11-4 Thursday. Who's Hot? 🔥 Brandon Lockridge In a game that may have locked up his spot on the Opening Day roster, the center fielder capped off a 10-run fifth inning against the Dodgers by hitting a grand slam. It was part of a 3-for-5 day with three runs scored. His fourth homer of the spring, a shot to center field, came off veteran reliever Blake Treinen. He followed that up with a 1-for-4 against the Mariners and a 1-for-2 with a double and two RBIs vs. the Rangers. The Rangers game came just hours after the Crew optioned fellow center fielder Blake Perkins to Triple-A, paving the way for Lockridge to be there on Opening Day. Andrew Vaughn The first baseman has been as consistent as any player this spring, which may be why he hasn't appeared in this feature until now. Vaughn went 4-for-7 with a pair of RBIs in the last two games. That put him at a nice .400/.478/.625 slash line with two homers and RBIs in Cactus League play. He leads the team with 16 hits to go along with five walks, while striking out only seven times. If the Crew can get anything close to what Vaughn produced last year after coming over in a trade from the Chicago White Sox, the offense should be just fine. Aaron Ashby It feels like the left-hander doesn't care what role he is in; he just wants to pitch. Could the Brewers be seriously thinking of Ashby in the rotation? He has pitched at least two innings in all three of his Cactus League appearances, allowing one run, while walking four and striking out six. The latest was a two-inning effort against the Angels in which he did not allow a hit in an efficient 22 pitches. Regardless of his role, Ashby will be a big part of the Crew's pitching staff in 2026. Who's Cold? 🧊 Brandon Woodruff The good news was the right-handed starter made his second appearance of the spring with a scheduled four-inning outing against the Rangers. The bad news was that Woodruff only made it through three batters in the fourth as velocity took a noticeable dip. He hit 93.7 mph with his four-seamer in the first inning and was routinely at 92 mph in the second and third innings. But in the fourth, his fastest pitch was 88.8 mph, and he gave up a pair of homers. It is possible Woodruff pitches the second of two exhibition games at American Family Field, but that also depends on how he bounces back from Thursday's outing. Getting three innings out of Woodruff to begin the season might be acceptable with the depth and length the Brewers have in their bullpen. Otherwise, the injured list could be where he begins Opening Day. Garrett Mitchell It may have been more surprising that it was Mitchell who was stuck in camp while Perkins was optioned. The talented center fielder has not gotten anything going this spring and just had back-to-back 0-for-4, three-strikeout games. Having endured a handful of injuries that have curtailed his playing time since making his MLB debut in 2022, Mitchell has now struck out a team-worst 18 times in just 29 at-bats. He has just two hits, one being a homer, that have resulted in a paltry slash line of .069/.206/.207. Mitchell could be a dynamic part of the Crew's offense if he gets going. Chad Patrick Locked into the starting rotation, perhaps as the No. 2, the right-hander struggled with his control against the Dodgers. Patrick walked four and allowed five hits while surrendering six runs to a lineup featuring a number of Dodgers regulars. He threw 83 pitches, which is good as he gets ready for the season, with just 48 strikes. There might not be anything to worry about, as you never know what the pitchers might be working on in any specific spring start. Patrick feels lined up to start the second game of the season, March 28, vs. the Chicago White Sox. View full article

Image courtesy of © Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images The Milwaukee Brewers made their first significant camp cuts this spring on Thursday, optioning right-handed starter Logan Henderson and center fielder Blake Perkins to Triple-A Nashville. First baseman-outfielder Tyler Black was also optioned to Triple-A, with shortstop Cooper Pratt reassigned to Nashville. Perkins' demotion means that center fielder Brandon Lockridge has likely made the Opening Day roster with Garrett Mitchell. The moves leave 34 players in major-league camp. That means Henderson is out of the mix for the Opening Day rotation. Henderson reported a sore elbow last week and is scheduled to pitch two or three innings Friday, perhaps against the Arizona Diamondbacks or on the back fields. He has made just two Cactus League appearances thus far, with a 2.25 ERA in four innings, with no walks and one strikeout. The Brewers still have plenty of competition for the three rotation spots after right-handers Jacob Misiorowski and Chad Patrick, who were previously named to the Opening Day rotation. Right-hander Brandon Woodruff could be in the rotation, but he hasn't pitched in a game this spring since March 7, when he threw 32 pitches over two innings. Woodruff, still on the mend from the lat injury that sidelined him for the last two weeks of the regular season and the postseason, was scheduled to pitch four innings in Thursday night's game vs. the Texas Rangers. That leaves left-handers Kyle Harrison and Robert Gasser, as well as right-hander Brandon Sproat, as rotation candidates. In another possibility, Aaron Ashby, a valuable left-hander out of the Crew's bullpen, could be in a starting role. Even with Ashby in the rotation, the Brewers could still have at least three lefties out of the 'pen in Angel Zerpa, Jared Koenig, DL Hall, and Rob Zastryzny in contention. Perkins' demotion is surprising only in the fact that he returned from a fractured right shin in spring training to become the primary center fielder in the second half of last season. While defense is his forte, he put up only a .226/.298/.348 slash line last year with three homers, 19 RBIs, and seven stolen bases. He did strike out in 27.5% of his plate appearances. The left-handed hitter had been having a solid spring, with a .290/.343/.323 slash line in 35 plate appearances, with no homers, four RBIs, and one stolen base. Lockridge, a right-handed hitter, made a nice debut with the Crew after being acquired from the San Diego Padres at the trade deadline in the Nestor Cortes deal. In 20 games, Lockridge had a .261/.308/.370 slash line, no homers, six RBIs, and two steals. The speedy outfielder showed up to camp this year looking to tap more into his power and has produced a .314/.442/.686 slash line with four homers, seven RBIs, and three steals. Mitchell, a left-handed hitter, has had a slow spring, going just 2-for-25 for a .080/.233/.240 slash line. He has struck out 15 times in those 25 at-bats while drawing five walks. The 2020 first-round draft choice has put up some solid offensive career numbers (.254/.333/.433), but has only played in 113 games over the last three full seasons due to a variety of injuries. View full article

In case you were having a severe case of FOMO regarding Opening Day for the Milwaukee Brewers, the team just threw you a lifeline. The Brewers announced they are putting about 1,000 tickets for the March 26 game against the Chicago White Sox at American Family Field on sale. In addition, more tickets for the second and third games of the season, March 28 and March 29, have been made available for purchase. You can buy them by visiting brewers.com/tickets. The tickets became available from what the team had previously reserved for expected or potential attendees. View full rumor

Image courtesy of © Mike De Sisti / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images The television landscape can be difficult to navigate for baseball fans, so the Milwaukee Brewers are offering 10 games this season in seven markets in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Upper Michigan. The games include Opening Day on March 26 vs. the Chicago White Sox at American Family Field. Here are the cities and the channels games will be simulcast from the Brewers.TV feed: Milwaukee: WITI Madison: WISC, TVW Duluth-Superior: KDLH, KBJR Green Bay: WGBA, WACY La Crosse-Eau Claire: WKBT Marquette, Mich.: WJMN Wausau-Rhinelander: WSAW, WZAW, WYOW Brewers Games On Local Broadcast TV Here are the games that will be telecast (all times Central): March 26: vs. Chicago White Sox, 1:10 p.m. March 31: vs. Tampa Bay Rays, 6:40 p.m. April 28: Brewers vs. Arizona Diamondbacks, 6:40 p.m. May 12: vs. San Diego Padres, 6:40 p.m. May 19: at Chicago Cubs, 6:40 p.m. June 2: vs. San Francisco Giants, 6:40 p.m. Aug. 4: vs. Pittsburgh Pirates, 6:40 p.m. Aug. 18: vs. Seattle Mariners, 6:40 p.m. Aug. 25: at New York Mets, 6:10 p.m. Sept. 8: Brewers vs. Chicago Cubs, 6:40 p.m. View full article

Image courtesy of © Matt Marton-Imagn Images Based on how some players go about their daily business, you almost take them for granted. Such is the case with Brice Turang of the Milwaukee Brewers. He routinely gobbles up grounders as the Crew's second baseman, and last year showed that he can be a big part of the team's offense. Was that power surge a flash in the pan, or is there more to get out of him with the bat? Brewers Second Basemen At A Glance Starter: Brice Turang Backup: David Hamilton Depth: Luis Rengifo Prospects: Jett Williams, Jesús Made, Cooper Pratt, Brady Ebel, Diego Frontado, Daniel Dickinson Brewers fWAR ranking last year: 5th out of 30. Brewers fWAR projection this year: 8th out of 30. THE GOOD Defense was always going to be the calling card for Turang. Even in his amateur days, he got the nod to start at shortstop over Bobby Witt Jr. with Team USA. But when Turang made his MLB debut, the Brewers had Willy Adames at shortstop, so Turang took over at second, and has proven to be an elite defender. Turang not only won the 2024 NL Gold Glove at second base, but also took home the Platinum Glove as the NL's top overall defender. But in 2025, the now-26-year-old became a more complete player, as his bat started to produce. After having a .239/.303/.328 slash line and a total of 13 homers in his first two big-league seasons, Turang was at .271/.339/.363 with 6 homers and 44 RBIs when the calendar flipped to August. Then, as everyone knew he could, he turned up the power in his game, going deep 10 times in the month, including his first two-homer game and a five-game stretch in which he homered four times. Turang finished 2025 with a slash line of .288/.359/.435, with 18 homers and 81 RBIs. There was a notable jump in his exit velocity, which went from 87 mph and the 14th percentile in MLB in 2024 to 91.1 mph and the 75th percentile in 2025. THE BAD Depending on which defensive metric you trust, Turang slipped from elite to either merely very good or fringe-average last season. Watching him on an everyday basis, the former feels closer to the mark. He was worse, but still solidly in the top third of defenders at the keystone. As for things he truly needs to work on, besides leaning into a pitch now and then, Turang could stand to cut down on his strikeouts. His 2024 strikeout rate of 17% is an outlier when compared with his 2023 showing of 21% and his 2025 number of 22.8%. While 22.5% was the MLB average in 2025, putting those extra balls in play or drawing walks is something that will benefit him and the Crew offensively. Of course, if whiffing more is the price of getting to all the power we saw late last season, it's more than worth it, so the question here is one of calibrating the approach at a very fine level. Turang didn't run as much in 2025 as he did in 2024, when he swiped 50 bases. That number dropped to 24, which was slightly below the 26 he stole as a rookie in 2023 in 19 fewer games. Turang's sprint speed took a slight dip in 2025 (from 29.3 to 28.9 feet per second), but he still ranked in the 88th percentile. The real problem was that he was caught more often when he did run—eight times in 32 attempts, after going 76-for-86 in his first two years. That was caused by lousy leads and jumps, though he got better about it later in the year. He batted throughout the order during the season, starting at the bottom but then becoming a regular leadoff hitter against right-handed starters. Surprisingly, Turang was nearly as good against left-handed pitchers (.305/.361/.391) as against right-handers (.280/.358/.454). In his first two seasons, he struggled more with lefties, but other than a lack of power, he licked that issue last year. THE BOTTOM LINE Turang could turn into a bigger offensive threat if he taps into that power a little more often. There is 20-homer potential, to go along with 30 (or even 40) steals. Manager Pat Murphy needs to find a way for Turang to feel free to run more than he did in 2025 and make him more dynamic. Is that batting leadoff or second? Maybe fifth? Regardless, having Turang at second base gives the Brewers one of the game's best defenders at the position. He also has shown the ability to play shortstop, his natural position, when called upon. Hamilton can fill in nicely for Turang at second, with the potential of more offense than Andruw Monasterio could provide. The future will provide some interesting challenges for the Crew, with Williams (this year) and Made (probably next year) set for their own debuts somewhere on the infield. View full article

Image courtesy of © Dave Kallmann / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images The days in Arizona are growing short for the Milwaukee Brewers. They play their final Cactus League game Sunday, before a couple of exhibition games against the Cincinnati Reds at Uecker Field. They open the season March 26, at home against the Chicago White Sox. There will be some big decisions made this week. As a reminder: Don't take anything too seriously in this recap. During spring training, exhibition games often devolve into minor-league scrimmages. The information below is meant as basic information, not necessarily hardcore analysis. The Brewers dropped to 9-12 in Cactus League play, falling to the A's 13-4, beating the Colorado Rockies 8-4 and losing to the San Francisco Giants 7-1. The Giants came within one out of a perfect game. Who's Hot? ? Sal Frelick The outfielder showed signs of breaking out of his spring slumber. Frelick went 3-for-6 with a walk against the A's and Rockies, finally poking his Cactus League average above .200. Frelick is tied for the team lead in at-bats (37) with David Hamilton. Frelick did slide back under the Mendoza Line by going 0-for-3 Sunday. He started twice in center and led off all three days. One has to wonder if manager Pat Murphy is tinkering with Frelick playing more center this season, considering he started there back-to-back days with other options available. If Christian Yelich is healthy enough to play the outfield and/or both halves of the first base timeshare hit well enough to merit everyday playing time, Jackson Chourio could end up in right field, pushing Frelick to center. Speaking of first base... Jake Bauers The top left-handed bat off the Brewers' bench went 2-for-5 in back-to-back games to raise his Cactus League average to .500, before going 0-for-3 Sunday and dropping it to .440. He has 11 hits this spring, second-most to Andrew Vaughn's 12. Bauers played left field and first base, the two spots at which he figures to be the top backup this season. His offense, as he showed off late in the season and into the postseason, will certainly be a boost for the Crew. Cooper Pratt The prospect infielder showed off his versatility by playing second against the A's. Undistracted by a change in defensive duties, he went 2-for-3 at the plate. Pratt has never played a position other than shortstop as a pro, save three times in the Arizona Complex League as he made his debut in 2023. With other shortstop candidates coming up behind him and the addition of Jett Williams to the system, Pratt doesn't have the luxury of not being versatile. He broke up the perfect game against the Giants by drawing a two-out walk on five pitches in the ninth inning, then scored on a Blake Burke double. Who's Cold? ? Luis Rengifo The probable Opening Day third baseman hasn't gotten untracked this spring. Rengifo went 0-for-5, including a two-strikeout game, as his Cactus League slash line dropped to .214/.290/.321. He will get plenty of time to begin the season at third base, but if Hamilton hits well and Rengifo struggles, it could turn out to be more of a platoon situation than what the Brewers were envisioning—or, given how high Pat Murphy is on Hamilton, exactly as much of one as he envisiond all along. Kyle Harrison Do we need to be worried about the left-hander as he makes a bid to be part of the starting rotation? Harrison surrendered six runs in his second Cactus League game. He gave up six hits against the A's, walking one and striking out four. Harrison threw 66 pitches, 44 of which were strikes. Considering his other outing was an eight-strikeout performance, Harrison probably still has a good shot at nabbing a rotation spot, but he has two more starts (including, probably, one of the two games at The Ueck) to secure that role. Here's one counterpoint: his average fastball velocity this spring is 95.2 MPH, a full 4.0 higher than last spring. Maybe he just needs time to hone his increasingly nasty stuff. Sammy Peralta While he has already been optioned to Triple-A Nashville to start the 2026 season, the left-handed reliever hasn't impressed this spring. The waiver claim from the Los Angeles Angels following last season has made five appearance in the Cactus League, allowing runs in four of them. We know he's still working to incorporat a cutter the Brewers recommended after claiming him. Peralta has averaged about a strikeout per inning in the minors, but has just one strikeout in five innings this spring. He doesn't throw hard, and missing bats has always been a struggle in the majors for him, so that's the most important thing to watch when next he gets into a game. View full article

While the decision isn't much of a surprise, we now know more about the injury sidelining Milwaukee Brewers right-handed starter Quinn Priester. The 25-year-old will begin the season on the injured list due to right wrist discomfort, manager Pat Murphy said Thursday. Murphy gave more detail on the ailment, saying it is "in that (thoracic outlet syndrome) family." Priester has not pitched in a game this spring, and beginning the season on the IL had been assumed before Murphy confirmed that move Thursday. Priester first reported discomfort in his right wrist in August. The Brewers are hoping Priester can avoid surgery, with the symptoms being addressed by treatment. Priester threw lightly off a mound Thursday, with a more rigorous session slated for March 21, which is just before the March 26 season opener. "Often, thoracic outlet requires surgery," Murphy said. "But in this case, we’re not there. We’re feeling like there’s a chance that he’s going to come through this.” Priester went 13-3 with a 4.01 FIP (3.32 ERA) in 2025 after being acquired from the Boston Red Sox in April. That included a stretch in which the Brewers won 19 straight appearances by Priester, 16 of those starts. He set a club record with a 12-game winning streak. View full rumor

Image courtesy of © Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images When the first night game of the Cactus League happens, you know spring training is starting to wind down and Opening Day is right around the corner. That night game happened Thursday. While wins and losses aren't important in spring training, player performances are. As a reminder: Don't take anything too seriously in this recap. It is only spring training, where exhibition games often devolve into minor-league scrimmages. The information below is meant as basic information, not necessarily hardcore analysis. The Brewers are now 8-10 in Cactus League play, having lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers 4-3 Monday, the Cincinnati Reds 6-3 Wednesday and the Cleveland Guardians 1-0 Thursday. Who's Hot? ? Gary Sánchez The backup catcher, getting more playing time with William Contreras still at the World Baseball Classic, started all three games and went 3-for-6 in the last two. That included his first homer of the spring, a two-run shot against the Reds. Sánchez also doubled against the Reds. He is now hitting .267 (8-for-30) in the Cactus League. Sánchez will be around to start when Contreras gets a day off behind the plate and could see some time at designated hitter. David Hamilton The infielder started twice at shortstop and went 2-for-5. Hamilton started slow this spring following the trade from the Boston Red Sox, going 2-for-12. But he has now hit safely in five of his last six games. He also swiped a pair of bases against the Dodgers, giving him a team-leading four this spring, all in the last six games. Defense will be most important for Hamilton, as he figures to be a late-inning replacement for Luis Rengifo at third base or pinch-hitting for shortstop Joey Ortiz. Jared Koenig After a disastrous first outing this spring, allowing four runs on three hits in one-third of an inning, the left-handed setup man has notched three consecutive scoreless appearances of one inning each. That has lowered his ERA from 108.00 after the first game to 10.80 after his inning against the Reds. He has allowed three hits over those last three outings, with no walks and three strikeouts. Most importantly, his average velocity was back up to 93.8 MPH Wednesday, after it sat closer to 92 in each of his first two appearances of the spring. Who's Not? ? Sal Frelick The spark plug right fielder is having a slow go of it thus far in Cactus League play. Frelick is 0-for-11 in his last three games and is just 4-for-28 (.143) on the spring campaign. Whatever the cause, he still has two weeks to shake it off and turn it around. And these are the games where players tend to lock in and continue the experiments that are working and eschew those that aren't. Certainly, Frelick is one of the first to tell you that spring results don't matter. Robert Gasser The left-hander only has another start or two to impress the Crew's decision-makers into including him in the Opening Day rotation. He certainly didn't do that in his start against the Reds, allowing four runs on five hits in 2⅔ innings. Gasser didn't walk anyone and struck out three. He came back at the end of the 2025 season following Tommy John surgery in 2024, but has allowed seven runs over 6⅓ innings in three Cactus League games. The Brewers can afford to send Gasser to Triple-A to build his confidence. Christian Yelich You tend not to worry too much about veteran hitters getting ready for the regular season. They know when to turn it on as Opening Day approaches. But after going 2-for-2 in his first game this spring, Yelich has gone hitless in his last nine at-bats to drop his average to .182, although he has drawn three walks in those four games. Yelich has struck out in each of his last five at-bats. View full article

Fans always hope that key prospects will play their way onto the major-league roster, even if in reality they might not be ready for that move. That is one way to summarize the moves the Milwaukee Brewers executed Monday. The Crew reassigned top prospect Jesus Made, an 18-year-old shortstop who is a consensus top-four prospect in all of baseball, to minor-league camp and optioned catcher Jeferson Quero, their catcher of the future, to Triple-A Nashville. Left-hander Sammy Peralta was also optioned to Nashville, while corner infielder Luke Adams, outfielder-infielder Greg Jones, infielder Eddys Leonard, and catchers Darrien Miller, Ramon Rodriguez, and Matt Wood were also reassigned to minor-league camp. All of the players reassigned were non-roster invitees to major-league camp. Made, who has rocketed through the Brewers' system since being part of the international signing class in January 2024, has posted a .320/.370/.400 slash line (8-for-25) this spring in 10 Cactus League games. After making his pro debut in 2024 in the Dominican Summer League with a .331/.458/.554 slash line with six homers, 28 RBIs, and 28 steals in 51 games. He then began 2025 at Low A Carolina and moved up to High A Wisconsin before finishing with five games at Double-A Biloxi, putting together a .285/.379/.413 with six homers, 61 RBIs, and 47 steals in 115 games. That should line him up to start 2026 at Biloxi. Quero, meanwhile, has battled injuries the last two seasons, which have sapped his status in prospect rankings. Once a top-100 prospect, the 23-year-old sustained a right labrum injury in the first game of 2024 and missed the rest of the season. In 2025, he had a hamstring and a mild left shoulder sprain. Those two injuries limited him to 69 games, but he still produced a .285/.379/.413 slash line with 11 homers and 57 RBIs. Many analysts cited that his arm strength hadn't totally recovered from his 2024 labrum injury, but the rest of his defensive skills are still elite. This is Quero's last option year, unless there is an appeal due to him missing virtually all of 2024 to get him a fourth option. View full rumor

Image courtesy of © Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images Spring training battles are starting to heat up with Opening Day just a little more than two weeks away. Non-roster invitees are being sent to minor-league camp with more regularity. This won't cover the Milwaukee Brewers players who are in the World Baseball Classic; it will only focus on the players who are in camp. As a reminder, don't take anything in this recap too seriously. It is only spring training, where exhibition games often devolve into minor-league scrimmages. The information below is meant as basic information, not necessarily hardcore analysis. In Cactus League play, the Crew improved to 8-7 by sweeping all three games in this period, beating the Arizona Diamondbacks 6-2 Friday, the Los Angeles Angels 7-1 Saturday, and the Seattle Mariners 6-3 Sunday. Who's Hot? 🔥 Brandon Woodruff In the first start of what is probably his final spring with the Crew, the right-handed starter looked solid in his two innings vs. the Angels. Woodruff allowed two hits and no runs, walking one and striking out three. How he looks over his next two starts will go a long way to determining whether he begins the season in the rotation or perhaps with a brief stay on the injured list following his lat injury from last season. It also wouldn't be surprising for the Brewers to be creative if he is on the Opening Day roster, perhaps deploying him more as an opener, going three innings and building up over the first month or so of the season. Jesus Made At this time next year, we could be talking about Made being on the Opening Day roster somewhere on the infield. But for now, Brewers fans will have to watch as the 18-year-old shortstop puts up big numbers in the minors. That potential was evident as he went 4-for-7 in two games. He drove in four runs in those two games, scored once, and stole a base. In his first major-league spring camp, Made is batting .320 (8-for-25) with a triple and six RBIs. He has been humbled with eight strikeouts, but his eight hits are tied for second-most on the Crew this spring. Trevor Megill In his second outing this spring, Megill gave us the full experience, allowing two hits but striking out three against the Angels. He followed Woodruff by pitching the third inning, striking out Mike Trout and Jorge Soler to begin the frame. Then he surrendered a single to Vaughn Grissom and a double to Jeimer Candelario, then bore down and struck out Travis d'Arnaud with three straight 97 mph four-seamers. Who's Not? 🧊 Kyle Harrison After a splashy spring debut in which he unveiled his new kick change, Harrison took a small step back in his second outing. Very, very small. Against the Mariners, the left-handed starter did strike out eight, which was great, but he did walk two, and only 37 of his 60 pitches were strikes. He remains a top contender for a rotation job, so don't get too worried about this outing. The eight strikeouts are very encouraging. Brock Wilken The 2023 first-round draft pick hasn't had a smooth path at this point in his pro career, but the third baseman is still on track to start the season at Triple-A. He was hit in the face by a pitch in 2024 and had a knee injury in 2025. Still, he hit 22 homers in 2025 in a little more than half a season. He has gotten a long look this spring, his third in major-league camp. In two games, he went 0-for-4, dropping his Cactus League average to ,222 (4-for-18). He has gone deep once. His power is what the Brewers are banking on, in addition to his ability to play third base. Jeferson Quero Another big prospect, the catcher has had a slow spring offensively. He went 0-for-3 with a walk and two strikeouts while also scoring a run vs. the Mariners. He is just 2-for-16 (.125) in Cactus League play. This will be a big season for Quero, who has one minor-league option remaining, thus putting him as a likelihood to be on the Opening Day roster next year if not the starter, depending on whether William Contreras is still with the Crew. View full article