MILWAUKEE – The Brewers’ pitching staff saw a series of changes before Wednesday night's 3-2 loss to the Diamondbacks while a grueling stretch of 19 games over 18 days without a day off rolled on.
In one big flurry of afternoon announcements, the team:
• Placed All-Star closer Trevor Megill on the 15-day injured list with a right flexor strain.
• Scratched reliable right-hander Quinn Priester from his start against Arizona at American Family Field and said left-handed reliever Aaron Ashby would start instead as an opener.
• Signed veteran right-hander Erick Fedde to a one-year contract and brought him in to relieve Ashby a few hours later.
• Shifted No. 5 prospect Logan Henderson to the 60-day injured list to make room on the 40-man roster for Fedde, ending hopes of Henderson pitching again for the Brewers in the regular season (though the postseason remains a possibility).
On the outside, it looked like a lot to handle all at once. On the inside, it was business as usual for a Major League team grinding through the end of August, as pitching coach Chris Hook saw it.
“I don’t think it’s any different than usual,” Hook said. “You don’t remember when we brought in Chi Chi González for a couple of days [in 2022]? Or Julio Teheran [in ‘23]?”
Hook’s examples conjured more memories of veterans brought in to cover innings in a pinch. Remember the Dallas Keuchel era in 2024? Or getting Gio González in a waiver trade in ‘19?
“It’s what you have to do,” Hook said. “It’s happening all over the league; guys are bouncing around. It’s something we talked about as a group, like, ‘Let’s keep our eyes open for opportunities.’ This one [with Fedde] fits. I’m thankful they did that.”
Megill's injury was the biggest concern because it comes at a particularly vulnerable moment for Milwaukee’s heavily-worked bullpen. But after he absorbed blown saves in three of his past four outings, including Sunday against the Giants with a capacity crowd on hand for the team’s celebration of life for late radio broadcaster Bob Uecker, a shutdown period was required.
Megill told reporters he underwent an MRI scan on Tuesday that showed a “mild Grade 1” flexor strain.
“Nothing too serious,” Megill said. “We’ve been grinding through it for the last week, and 34 pitches the other day ‘wasn’t it.’ So we’re taking a step back and get this right for the postseason.”
Megill said he was optimistic about a minimum 15-day stay on the IL, which would mean a return Sept. 9 at the earliest. Megill, a first-time All-Star this season, has 30 saves and a 2.54 ERA in a career-high 49 appearances.
Abner Uribe will get the first crack at closer duties with Megill down, manager Pat Murphy said. The Brewers also have former D-backs closer Shelby Miller as an experienced option after acquiring him from Arizona at the Trade Deadline.
The Brewers did have one possible reinforcement in town in left-hander Rob Zastryzny, whose presence indicated he was ready to be reinstated from the IL any day after missing time due to a rib injury. And left-hander Robert Gasser is scheduled for a rehab start on Friday, and he could be available to Milwaukee next week when rosters expand.
Then there was the starting rotation.
The Brewers were so flush with starters just a few weeks ago that they traded Nestor Cortes to the Padres to ease the logjam, but that was before rookie Jacob Misiorowski hit something of a roadblock and Priester developed his minor right wrist issue. With Henderson on the IL and Tobias Myers, Milwaukee’s Most Valuable Pitcher last year, bouncing between the Majors and Minors and pitching out of the bullpen lately, the Brewers signed Fedde in a pinch. That deal was finalized on Wednesday afternoon.
Fedde, who has pitched for the Cardinals and Braves this season, took the loss in his Brewers debut, pitching 4 1/3 innings of two-run ball and allowing a go-ahead home run to Blaze Alexander in the sixth. Fedde has a 5.71 ERA in 129 1/3 innings over 26 outings (24 starts).
Priester, meanwhile, will shift to Saturday’s game against the Blue Jays, barring a setback.
What is Hook’s level of concern there?
“Very little,” Hook said. “It’s not an elbow or a shoulder. It’s just kind of a goofy spot on his wrist, and we’ll give him a few extra days.”
It’s all part of the long season, which for the Brewers has brought a slew of moving pieces. Murphy noted that of the 26 players active for Milwaukee, only nine were on the Opening Day roster. And of those nine, only eight were active, since Uribe was serving a suspension.
“Someone’s got to write the story of the craziness of this,” Murphy said.