Barely a week into the 2024 Major League Baseball season, with his Milwaukee Brewers taking an early lead over the National League Central, manager Pat Murphy asked a visiting beat writer if he could name members of Milwaukee’s starting rotation.
A month later, even the skipper himself could be forgiven for asking his pitchers to wear name tags around the ballpark.
“If you look at our proposed 26-man roster to start the season, you can say wow, there’s a lot of new faces, a lot of inexperience,” Murphy said. “Then take away 12 of those guys and wow, there’s really a lot of new faces.”
While pitching injuries have been endemic across the industry this season, few teams have been hit as hard as the Brewers. Since Opening Day, Milwaukee has sent six pitchers to the injured list for various ailments. A rash of misfortune culminated Friday when it was announced that veteran left-hander Wade Miley would be lost for the season thanks to a torn ulnar collateral ligament that will require Tommy John Surgery.
Brewers Pitching Injuries Testing Depth
The Brewers’ pitching staff was already a work in progress, to use Murphy’s own words, with stalwart right-hander Brandon Woodruff not expected to pitch in 2024 after undergoing offseason shoulder surgery and the loss of reigning ace Corbin Burnes who was dealt to Baltimore just before Spring Training. Adding to the misery, All-Star closer Devin Williams was shelved late in camp with stress fractures in his back that are expected to leave him out of action for at least another month.
With a rotation anchored by Burnes, Woodruff, Freddy Peralta, Josh Hader, and Devin Williams locking down the late innings, pitching has been the driving force behind the Brewers’ recent run of success. Peralta is the last man standing from that group. Colin Rea and Miley were expected to provide some stability behind him and a deep pool of options and depth to help fill out the final two spots over the course of the season.
That plan has played out, for the most part, just a little faster than anyone might have expected.
In all, nine different pitchers have started games for Milwaukee so far this season, and the team has used 17 pitchers in all — a number that’s almost certain to climb even higher with 136 games left on the schedule.
“There’s a limit to depth,” Murphy said. “We’ve lost a lot of guys this year. By my count, nine of our top 16 pitchers are out so we’re having to fill in with guys who we had no idea would be in the big leagues and that’s a challenge but at the same time, it’s a great opportunity.”
New Faces Added Frequently
Another new face entered the mix Saturday ahead of Milwaukee’s game against the Yankees at American Family Field.
Milwaukee recalled right-hander Janson Junk from Triple-A Nashville. This was after the Brewers burned through four relievers to cover five innings in an 11-inning, 7-6 victory in the series opener one night earlier.
That move didn’t come without a cost, though. Milwaukee had to clear a player off the roster to accommodate Junk — right-hander Jared Koenig. He’d been one of the team’s best relievers, compiling a 1.04 ERA over five appearances this season. But Koenig had pitched in three of the Brewers’ last four games. That includes two innings Friday night, and had a minor-league option remaining, leading to him earning a plane ticket to Nashville.
“It’s the business of baseball, and it’s tough,” Murphy said. “Koenig has been great for us. He’s got an option. We needed length. We’ll see Koenig again, I’m sure.”
So Far, So Good
Despite the missing pieces, constant turnover, and the Brewers pitching injuries, Milwaukee still sits atop their division and own the third-best record in baseball heading into Saturday, largely because of their pitching.
Prior to a 15-3 drubbing Saturday night, Milwaukee’s staff ERA of 3.46 ranked second among National League teams and eighth overall so far this season. While the starting rotation’s 4.20 ERA was good for 10th in the NL, the Brewers’ bullpen led the league with a 2.60 ERA — including a 1.25 mark over the team’s last 15 games, again, before the Saturday night hiccup.
“It’s early and our bullpen has been magnificent. Their performance, they’ve overachieved,” Murphy said. “It isn’t conventional, how we’re doing it. But it’s what we have to do to win tonight. So, will we pay the price down the road? I guess we’ll see. Standard wisdom says yes, we’ll pay the price down the road.
“It’s better to be in this position than not having that opportunity.”
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