TL Schwerz

The Milwaukee Brewers have dealt with more than their fair share of pitching injuries this season, and over the weekend the bullpen needed a reshuffling. Justin Topa was activated from the 60-day injured list and optioned to Triple-A Nashville. Peter Strzelecki was recalled and he took Trevor Gott’s spot on the active roster. Trevor Gott is pitching in the majors this season after not appearing during 2021. He owns a 4.03 ERA across 38 innings pitched. Gott has been burned by the home run but has struck out over a batter per inning. He was placed on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to August 11, with a right forearm strain. Needing to replace him in the bullpen, Milwaukee recalled Peter Strzelecki. The rookie has made eight appearances this season spanning 11 1/3 innings. He owns a solid 3.18 ERA and has yet to allow a home run. The 15/4 K/BB continues to get him more opportunities as well. Each time he’s been called upon by the big league club, he’s put up solid efforts. Justin Topa had been rehabbing with Triple-A Nashville, having yet to pitch in the majors this season. Now back to health, Milwaukee optioned him and will allow Topa to work as relief depth until they need his services at the highest level. View full article

After outrighting Pedro Severino to Triple-A late last week, the Milwaukee Brewers followed up with a handful of transactions over the weekend. Starting pitcher Adrian Houser began a rehab assignment with Triple-A Nashville, while Jason Alexander was recalled to the big leagues. Jake McGee was designated for assignment, and J.C. Mejia was removed from the restricted list. Arguably the most notable development here is Adrian Houser nearing a return. He has made 15 starts for the Brewers this season and has been out since June 30. Milwaukee has largely been decimated by injury at times in the rotation, and any healthy bodies returning are welcomed. Houser owns a 4.72 ERA on the year but has largely remained consistent with a 4.20 FIP. The Brewers have turned to Jason Alexander at different points throughout this season and have utilized him both as a starter and reliever. He’s pitched 45 innings, making seven starts, and owns a 5.60 ERA. Although his strikeout numbers are miniscule, making it difficult to thread a needle towards sustainability, Alexander continues to generate opportunity in part because he owns a 2.47 ERA at Triple-A. Milwaukee signed Jake McGee after he was jettisoned by the San Francisco Giants. The veteran pitched 21 1/3 innings with the Giants before making it through just 5 2/3 in Milwaukee. McGee gave up four runs on seven hits across six total appearances. No longer the pitcher he once was, the Brewers decided to cut bait. The final update from the weekend was the reinstatement of pitcher J.C. Mejia from the restricted list. Testing positive for a banned substance back in May, Mejia was required to serve an 80-game suspension. Acquired from Cleveland, Mejia has thrown just 2 1/3 innings so far with Milwaukee. Just 25-years-old, the Brewers will hope he can add value back into the organization following his misstep. View full article

The Milwaukee Brewers made a couple of curious moves at the trade deadline. In acquiring Taylor Rogers for Josh Hader, they also netted themselves former starter Dinelson Lamet. He didn’t last in the organization more than 24 hours. Pedro Severino saw a different fate following his DFA. Dinelson Lamet has thrown just 12 1/3 innings this season for the Padres, and they haven’t been particularly good, but he’s also flashed impressive stuff when healthy. That’s really been the biggest struggle, health having eluded Lamet. That said, he’s got a career 11.7 K/9 and just recently turned 30-years-old. It was somewhat odd that the Brewers would take back a player with no desire to keep him, especially given the ability to ask for someone else in trade. At any rate, the Colorado Rockies found him desirable enough to put in a waiver claim, and he’s now headed to try and make things work at Coors Field. Catcher Pedro Severino was suspended for 80 games before the start of the season when he tested positive for a banned substance. Prior to his DFA, he appeared in just eight games for Milwaukee and was 4-for-18. Severino has never been a good offensive catcher and he’s routinely been looked at as little more than veteran depth. Clearing waivers, he accepted the assignment to the Sounds. A positive for Milwaukee, Severino remains in the organization at Triple-A Nashville should they need him again. View full article

The Milwaukee Brewers announced today that they have placed catcher Omar Narvaez on the 10-day injured list with a left quad strain. Mario Feliciano was recalled from Triple-A Nashville to take his place. The news surrounding Omar Narvaez comes just one day after Milwaukee designated backstop Pedro Severino for assignment. In 60 games this year as the Brewers primary catcher, Narvaez owns a .687 OPS. Mario Feliciano has yet to play for Milwaukee this year and has just one single career plate appearance. He drew a walk for the Brewers last season and came around to score. In 58 games at Triple-A this season, Feliciano has a .728 OPS. MLB Insider Robert Murray is suggesting that Milwaukee is also set to select the contract of catcher Jakson Reetz. A 26-year-old former 3rd round pick by the Washington Nationals in the 2014 Major League Baseball draft, Reetz has clubbed 25 homers between Double-A and Triple-A this season. It’s his first year with the Brewers organization, and while he had just a .613 OPS in the minors last year, Reetz owns a .984 mark this season. Reetz would become the 5th catcher on Milwaukee's 40-man roster. Alex Jackson is in the minors while Feliciano and Victor Caratini are on the Brewers active roster. Milwaukee has not yet made any move regarding Reetz official. View full article

Prior to yesterday’s action the Milwaukee Brewers made seven different roster moves. Shuffling players following their trade deadline activity, activations, releases, and options were all a part of the day’s work. Most notably, Freddy Peralta was activated from the 60-day injured list. Freddy Peralta returned to a Major League mound for the first time since May 22. He worked 3 2/3 innings against the Pittsburgh Pirates yesterday and allowed two runs on four hits. Throwing just 67 pitches, it’s to be expected that it would take time for him to fully rebuild durability in the rotation. No matter what, his presence back in the group is a great thing for manager Craig Counsell. After Luke Barker was designated for assignment on Tuesday, he ultimately passed through waivers and was released yesterday. Barker threw just four innings for Milwaukee this season but gave up five runs on seven hits. With the addition of Taylor Rogers to the bullpen, Peter Strzelecki was deemed unnecessary and optioned to Triple-A Nashville. Second basemen Keston Hiura was recalled from Nashville and returns to an .805 OPS in the majors this season. After two years of poor production, he’s bounced back in a big way. There are always concerns about his contact tool but he has performed well in short stints this season. Acquired in the Josh Hader trade, Dinelson Lamet was designated for assignment. He has pitched just 12 1/3 innings this season, all for the Padres, but it’s odd Milwaukee would acquire him in a deal and then immediately send him packing. Catcher Pedro Severino was also designated for assignment while the recently acquired Matt Bush was activated to the 26-man roster. View full article

What a whirlwind of a few days it’s been for the Milwaukee Brewers. After dealing star closer Josh Hader to the San Diego Padres for Taylor Rogers, they then acquired Matt Bush, and have rounded out a new pen trio with the Giants Trevor Rosenthal. Just a handful of days ago, in late July, the San Francisco Giants signed Trevor Rosenthal to a one-year deal worth $4.5 million. He hasn’t pitched in the majors since 2020, and at the time of his signing, manager Gabe Kapler said he was multiple weeks away while recovering from a hamstring strain. Rosenthal’s list of injuries has been substantial of late. Despite signing a contract with the Oakland Athletics before the 2021 season, he underwent Thoracic Outlet Syndrome surgery, and then went under the knife again to repair a torn labrum in his right hip. When healthy, Rosenthal has been a very good closer with high-velocity stuff. Back in 2020 the Kansas City Royals and San Diego Padres saw Rosenthal pitch to the tune of a 1.90 ERA across 23 2/3 innings. His 14.5 K/9 was a career best, and there’s never been a question as to whether he can punch big leaguers out. Joining the Brewers, Rosenthal will continue working back from his hamstring injury and should be a back-end bullpen option to go along with the newly acquired talent. He brings a veteran presence along with Postseason experience for a club looking to hold serve atop the NL Central division. View full article

Across 12 years in Major League Baseball, Jonathan Lucroy played 1,210 games. 1,098 of those came behind the dish, and across seven seasons, 805 of them came in a Milwaukee Brewers uniform. He’s now called it a career and will be enshrined into Milwaukee’s Wall of Honor this weekend. Breaking up the trade deadline news, between Taylor Rogers coming to the Brewers and Matt Bush being acquired, Jonathan Lucroy announced he was officially hanging up his cleats. A true catcher that spent the vast majority of his time behind the plate, Lucroy leaves the game with a .274/.335/.416 slash line. He hit 108 homers, was a two-time All-Star, and finished fourth in the National League MVP voting following the 2014 season. Milwaukee picked Lucroy in the 3rd round of the 2007 Major League Baseball draft from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Spending just over two seasons in the minors before his big league debut, Lucroy played only 21 games at Triple-A before the call came from Milwaukee. He shared a statement per Adam McCalvy on Twitter saying, “I am honored to retire a Milwaukee Brewer and be inducted into the Wall of Honor amongst so many of the greats in this franchise. The Brewers and the city of Milwaukee have always held a special place in my heart, I feel at ease and at home here. The fans have always embraced me and lifted me up. It is a special experience to play in Milwaukee and I want to thank the fans, the front office, and the baseball staff for making my time in Milwaukee so memorable.” What are your favorite Jonathan Lucroy moments? View full article

After dealing Josh Hader to the San Diego Padres for Taylor Rogers earlier today, the Milwaukee Brewers continued to make moves prior to the trade deadline. Infielder Mark Mathias and prospect Antoine Kelly have been sent to the Texas Rangers in exchange for reliever Matt Bush. This season Mark Mathias has played just six games for Milwaukee while serving as minor league infield depth. A former 3rd round pick by the Guardians in 2015, Mathias has played 50 games at Triple-A Nashville this season. He has slashed .318/.421/.518 with eight doubles, a triple, and eight homers. Mathias last played with Milwaukee on June 19 and has just two hits in 16 big league at bats this season. Joining Mathias is Milwaukee's 16th best prospect per MLB Pipeline, Antoine Kelly. Kelly was a 2nd round pick by the Brewers in 2019 and represented the club in the Futures Game during the 2022 All Star Break. He's 22-years-old and pitching at High-A Wisconsin this season. Kelly owns a 3.86 ERA across 19 starts with an 11.8 K/9. His 5.1 BB/9 suggests command, as expected, is still an issue. Matt Bush’s story is well documented as the former 2004 1st overall pick by the Tampa Bay Rays. He made his Major League debut in 2016 with the Texas Rangers and posted a strong 2.48 ERA that season. He’s now 36-years-old and has seen a nice rebound with a clean bill of health in 2021. For the Rangers this season, Bush owns a 2.95 ERA across 36 2/3 innings. He has an 11.0 K/9 and just a 2.5 BB/9. His average velocity is back up in the 97 mph range after being down around 95 mph each of the past two seasons. It’s hard not to see Milwaukee netting so much value for Hader, then acquiring another solid arm later in the day, as a nice way to retool the bullpen for a stretch run. The Brewers have needed to shuffle the deck substantially on the mound due to injuries this season, but they're now trending towards health and have a few new arms to factor into the equation. View full article

Maybe the Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers hate each other, but the distaste is muted among the Twins and Brewers giving the consistency of competition. Still, Kirk Cousins has a cousin named Jake who pitched in the Milwaukee system and the Brewer reliever is nearing a return. Jake Cousins hasn’t pitched at the Major League level since April 30. Kirk Cousins hasn’t played for the Minnesota Vikings since January 9. Maybe you could make an argument relating to toughness here as Kirk last played when it was cold out, but the reality is that the cousins have been shelved for a significant amount of time. The Brewers have been searching for pitching help, largely in the rotation but also the bullpen, for much of the 2022 season. Minnesota has not sought to supplant their current signal caller and continue to look at him as the answer for new head coach Kevin O’Connell. Removing the cousin parallels, Jake is nearing a big league return. His rehab assignment has been transferred to Triple-A Nashville, and it comes following a one inning cameo with the Arizona Complex League team. Cousins punched out two while in a hitless appearance across an inning of work. Making his big league debut a season ago, Cousins posted just a 2.70 ERA for Milwaukee in 30 innings. The strikeout numbers were gaudy with a 13.2 K/9. His walk rate is scary at 5.7 BB/9, but he limited the longball and worked around potential damage. With Josh Hader and Devin Williams at the back of the pen, this is certainly an arm Craig Counsell can utilize when healthy. View full article

Following his spot start against the Minnesota Twins yesterday, Milwaukee optioned starter Ethan Small back to Triple-A Nashville. In his place, reliever Peter Strzelecki was recalled. Both Jake Cousins and Justin Topa continued rehab assignments as well. Yesterday Ethan Small made the start for Craig Counsell’s club and turned in just 3 2/3 innings. He allowed three runs on four hits and walked four while punching out three. Twins Byron Buxton led off the game with a solo shot, his 24th of the year, to notch one against Small. Looking to add some pitching depth for today’s game, Peter Strzelecki was brought back up to the big leagues. On the season he has thrown nine innings giving up four runs on nine hits. Strzelecki does have an 11/3 K/BB this season however, and his 2.51 ERA at Triple-A continues to get him looks. Milwaukee has seen plenty of pitching injuries this year, and they’re getting closer to having both Justin Topa and Jake Cousins return to the active roster. Topa has not pitched in 2022 and is currently on the 60-day injured list. His rehab assignment was transferred from the Complex League to Triple-A Nashville. Jake Cousins last pitched in the big leagues on April 30 and has been on the 60-day injured list since. His rehab assignment is just beginning and will take place with the Complex League team. View full article

The Milwaukee Brewers found themselves with an odd final game of a series on a Monday and made a trio of roster moves before getting underway. The club recalled Ethan Small from Triple-A Nashville and designated reliever Connor Sadzeck for assignment. They also flipped outfielder Abraham Almonte to the Red Sox for cash considerations. Ethan Small was the 28th overall pick for Milwaukee during the 2019 Major League Baseball draft. He made his Major League debut on May 30th this season and last just 2 2/3 innings against the Chicago Cubs. Small allowed two runs on four hits and struck out four while giving up four free passes. Since returning to Triple-A Nashville, Small has worked 34 1/3 innings across seven starts. He owns a 4.98 ERA and has allowed a .696 OPS to opposing batters. However, Small owns just a 3.13 ERA and .577 OPS against in his last 23 innings, and he has outings with both 10 and eight strikeouts each. Needing some rotation help, it’s nice for Milwaukee being able to turn internally. Connor Sadzeck appeared in just two games for the Brewers this year and allowed three runs (all in his last outing against the Rockies) across three innings. The 30-year-old has just 36 innings at the Major League level and will look for another opportunity. In flipping Abraham Almonte to Boston, Milwaukee rids itself of a Triple-A depth talent. He hasn’t played in the majors this season but did post a .913 OPS for the sounds. Almonte got into 64 games with the Atlanta Braves a season ago, and his .730 OPS was well above the career mark of .676. Milwaukee wraps up the series with Colorado tonight before hosting Minnesota tomorrow. View full article

The Milwaukee Brewers have been hit hard on the pitching front when it comes to injuries this season. Key starters Brandon Woodruff and Freddy Peralta have both missed time, while a host of relievers have cycled through the injured list as well. Now both Peralta and Justin Topa are nearing a return as they begin rehab assignments. Freddy Peralta last pitched for Milwaukee on May 22nd. He was eventually transferred to the 60-day injured list. Joining Triple-A Nashville to start his rehab assignment, Peralta threw two innings while giving up a single hit, a solo home run. Peralta struck out three and walked one across his 33 pitches. The Brewers will need Peralta to rejoin a rotation looking to keep Milwaukee holding serve with the St. Louis Cardinals. Woodruff and Corbin Burnes continue to do the heavy lifting, but Peralta’s 2.11 FIP is much better than the 4.42 ERA suggested he was going to contribute through the early part of this season. Justin Topa made his Major League debut in 2020 at the age of 29. He has dealt with multiple elbow issues and was shut down this spring with a right tendon flexor strain. One the 60-day injured list as well, Topa is now set to begin a rehab assignment with the Arizona Complex club. He’s flashed great strikeout stuff when healthy, and Topa worked a scoreless inning of relief with one strikeout during his 2022 debut. View full article