Milwaukee Brewers place Devin Williams on Injured List, recall Angel Perdomo

Bullpen depth being tested.

The Milwaukee Brewers made a move in their bullpen before Saturday’s game, losing one of their most important arms to what will hopefully be a only a short absence, but one that is a bit concerning nonetheless. By the end of Saturday’s game, they had another bullpen arm whose status is now a bit up in the air going forward, as well.

Devin Williams, the reigning Rookie and Reliever of the Year in the NL, has so far worked in 37 games and covered 33.1 innings in 2021 with a 2.97 ERA and 15 holds. But he got a late start to the year as he was still recovering from a shoulder issue that ended his 2020 season, and reported some discomfort after warming up on Friday. He underwent an MRI, which was clean, but according to David Stearns: “We have some elbow inflammation that is causing some discomfort. We do not expect this to be a lengthy absence and are treating this with caution.” Williams has been dealing with a drop in velocity this year as well as a bloated 5.4 BB/9 rate this season.

Angel Perdomo was the man called up to take Williams’ spot on the roster. He’s been tremendous in Triple-A, allowing just two runs in 12.0 innings with 20 strikeouts and three walks. But in the big leagues, he’s yielded a 7.11 ERA in 12.2 frames with 19 punchouts and 12 walks.

Also worth monitoring is the situation of Brad Boxberger, who left Saturday’s game with “shoulder stiffness” after facing one batter. Boxberger has been characterized as “day-to-day” but would be another big loss for Milwaukee’s bullpen if he ends up going down. He’s appeared in 42 games, most on the team, while working to a 3.03 ERA with 48 strikeouts and 19 walks in 38.2 innings.

Statistics courtesy of Baseball-Reference