The Brewers have turned on the newly acquired righty Lance McCullers Jr. on the 15-day injured list for the start of the second half. On the left Jared Koenig was optioned to Triple-A Nashville in the corresponding move.
McCullers’ time in Milwaukee will begin in the bullpen, manager Pat Murphy told reporters (link via Adam McCalvy of MLB.com). Logan Henderson I got the ball in the opener tonight with the Marlins. Shane Drohan again Robert Gasser will end the series.
That would leave the first two games of next week’s series with the Mets over Brandon Sproat again Jacob Misiorowski in a certain way. The latter was scratched from his last start before the All-Star Break with arm fatigue but is good to go in the New York series. The Mets are already accounted for Freddy Peralta as their opener Monday at American Family Field. There’s a chance he’ll face Sproat, one of two chances he was traded, when he returns to Milwaukee — and it could be one of his final starts as a Met.
McCullers has not appeared in the big leagues since May 13. The righty had started eight games for the Astros and posted a 6.86 earned run average in 39 1/3 innings. He has missed the last two months with shoulder inflammation. McCullers has built up to 77 properties in the renovation project. Milwaukee could have offered him more work but apparently chose not to disrupt their current rotation.
That trade was about getting a deep starter with minor league options, Colton Gordonthe Brewers assigned to Triple-A. Milwaukee spent about $2.5MM of McCullers’ $17MM salary to “buy” Gordon from the Houston team against the luxury tax line. The Brewers have leeway in the standings to see if they can make a few changes to get McCullers on track. They reportedly offered the veteran an early settlement when he agreed to waive his no-trade rights.
The accompanying move is also noteworthy, as it is the first time Koenig has been demoted in two years. He was on the active roster all of last season, and this year’s Triple-A stint came on a rehabilitative basis due to elbow inflammation. Koenig had an excellent 2025 campaign, turning in a 2.86 ERA while striking out more than a quarter of opponents in 66 innings. He has allowed nine runs (seven earned) on 12 hits and seven walks this year. The biggest damage came in the final game before the break, as Koenig failed to retire the five batters he faced in the loss to Pittsburgh.
Milwaukee entered the season with the best left-handed relief unit in MLB. Injury to Angel Zerpa (Tommy John surgery) and Rob Zastryzny (trap strain) – along with Koenig’s elbow problem and subsequent struggles – slowed the team significantly. They are just down Aaron Ashby right now, making the second southpaw a deadline target. Any of Drohan, Gasser or Gordon could also step into the bullpen if Milwaukee gets Kyle Harrison back to strengthening the front that shut him down just before the break.
Harrison always hopes it will be a temporary absence. It is important that he and Misiorowski are both healthy. Quinn Priester it was done a year after thoracic outlet surgery, and it seems that everything is legal Brandon Woodruff he will not come back. That was evident when Milwaukee placed him on the 60-day injured list over the weekend.
Murphy confirmed this afternoon that the prognosis for Woodruff’s latest shoulder injury is “not good.” The forward will meet with the Milwaukee Bucks in the next few days to make an official announcement. “It’s very painful to think about it, to know what he meant to this organization and to know what he meant to this team,” Murphy told reporters (via McCalvy).
