Left-hander DL Hall was a key piece of the return that the Brewers landed in the Corbin Burnes trade, and the club made clear upon acquiring him that Hall would be used as a member of the starting rotation despite the 25-year-old having been used almost exclusively out of the bullpen during his time in Baltimore. That experiment hasn’t gone well through Hall’s first four starts, however. Not only does Hall currently sport a 7.71 ERA with a walk rate (11.9%) that nearly matches his deflated strikeout rate (15.4%), but he’s also failed to record an out in the fifth inning in three of his four starts with the club.
Given those considerable struggles, it’s not necessarily surprising that Brewers manager Pat Murphy indicated after Hall’s start Saturday that the club might look to shift gears if Hall can’t get things on track. In conversation with reporters (including MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy) that evening, Murphy admitted that “there’s got to be adjustments made” for Hall to remain a member of the rotation, adding that the club “can’t keep letting him throw 3 1/3 and say ’that’s fine.'”
Hall is currently joined in the rotation by Freddy Peralta, Wade Miley, Colin Rea, and Joe Ross. Should the young southpaw find himself moved to the bullpen at some point, left-hander Aaron Ashby is one candidate to step into a rotation role, though he’s dealt with struggles of his own to this point in the season. Ashby was blown up in his lone big league start this year, allowing eight runs (four earned) in 3 2/3 frames. His time in the minors hasn’t gone much better, with a 9.28 ERA in three starts. If Ashby continues to be unable to get results, the Brewers may be best served simply waiting for right-hander Jakob Junis to return from the injured list after being sidelined by a shoulder impingement for the last two weeks before considering a change in Hall’s usage.
More from the NL Central…
- Cubs left fielder Ian Happ was removed from Friday’s game against the Marlins in the seventh inning due to what manager Craig Counsell described to reporters (including Andy Martinez of Marquee Sports Network) as left hamstring tightness. Counsell described the move as “precautionary” at the time, though Happ was noticeably absent from both games in the club’s doubleheader on Saturday. It’s not yet clear if Happ will ultimately require a trip to the injured list for the issue, though it makes sense for the Cubs to be cautious regarding their left fielder after he suffered a mild strain of the same hamstring during Spring Training last month. Alexander Canario filled in for Happ yesterday in left field, while Mike Tauchman and Patrick Wisdom have combined to handle right field in the aftermath of Seiya Suzuki’s oblique injury.
- Reds right-hander Ian Gibaut has missed the entire 2024 season to this point due to discomfort in his right forearm, and the club announced yesterday that he had been returned from his rehab assignment following “renewed” discomfort in the area. Per MLB.com’s injury tracker, manager David Bell recently indicated that Gibaut could resume his rehab assignment at some point this week. Even so, it’s unwelcome news for a Reds club that leaned heavily on the right-hander last year as he pitched to a strong 3.33 ERA in 75 2/3 innings of work. With Gibaut out of commission, the Reds have relied on Fernando Cruz and Emilio Pagan to set up for closer Alexis Diaz.
Hall was a throw in piece. The least valuable by far of the 3 pieces acquired. It’s not a surprise he can’t put it together but a little unfair to claim brewers made the trade with him as a “key piece” dudes been waiver wire material his whole career
Wasn’t he a highly ranked prospect with Baltimore? From what I read at the time he WAS a key piece of the return.
Sweet Rocky Coppinger “back of the rack pull” there I.M., love it!
Heh, wasn’t he (Coppinger) the guy who went partying with David Wells? I remember one starter supposedly having had his habits ‘ruined’ by association with all the vets on the club at the time…
If anything was a throw in piece it was the draft pick, not one of the two players.
I don’t believe you followed Baltimore closely. He was valuable coming out of the bullpen ad his walk rate drastically dropped. He was going to audition for the rotation in Baltimore before the trade but most likely was staying in the bullpen. Definitely not waiver wire material and has never been.
Lol don’t listen to this jabroni.
Hall will be fine in time. the stuff is there. I’m far more concerned with Ashby’s loss of velocity.
I’m concerned about Hall’s velocity as well, though. He was sitting around 97mph (albeit in the bullpen) last year but is sitting at 92mph currently.
Hall was sitting at 97mph in ST. Clearly, dialing it back to last longer. Brewers inserted him into the rotation in part to justify the Burnes trade. While possible Hall will be in starter, in time, he performs better and will also develop better out of the bullpen.
On what grounds he will be fine?? Dude has been terrible
Ashby’s lack of velocity? That’s like the Cubs saying they are concerned with Hendricks lack of velocity because it went from 90 to 89.
Hall has to learn to be a MLB starter and the vaunted Brewer pitching lab will help him immensely. Ashby’s velo dropping from mid 90’s to 90ish due to injury is a bigger issue.
A pitching lab can do only so much. After, no dog–lab or retriever or spaniel–has ever played MLB.
Pretty much since being drafted by the Orioles under GM Duquette, publications that evaluate talent have been giving him high grades. Always, until the last year or so ago, targeted as a SP when Os gave him an opportunity as a RP.
Article makes it sound like Brewers got a reliever, gave him a shot as a SP and now going back to a RP role. Nope. Brewers are finding out what Baltimore found out. Groomed to be a starter with starter stuff but struggles tremendously in that role. Plus, now, a velo issue as well. Oof.
Cubs have been playing well but I haven’t been thrilled at some of CCs managerial moves this season. With the double header, why bring in your 27th man for a single out? Why didn’t Bellinger at least DH in the first game when he is 2/4 agains JL with a pair of doubles? Why on earth would you ever bat Wisdom and Morel back to back?
The Cubs threw away that first game and with that line up, what was the point in pulling Assad? It caused the Cubs to need to use Brown for a couple innings in relief the following game. Just seemed like a lot of bad/questionable moves from the jump.
We can always second guess the manager
I’ll be interested in seeing Alzolay going to triple A
And after Hendricks gets bombed today releasing him
It’s 20 games into the season but we have a good team with good young players
Make changes now
Alzolay is out of options.
What threw away that first game was him continuing to think Alzolay is a shut down closer. it’s going to force them into something else. 2 possibilities are Brown and Horton. The Cubs are still babying Horton limiting him to around 50 pitches every 5 days. It’s almost as if they’re grooming him for relief. Obviously you don’t bring a guy up from AA and anoint him the closer, But I don’t see anything wrong with bringing him up and letting him get his feet wet in the 7th inning and see where it leads. I thought the Cubs were a bit light at the end of the bullpen and one more decent guy at the end would be nice just in case Alzolay reverted to his former self. If he throws one more 0-2 hanging slider I think I’ll scream.
Alzolay is a slow starter. I’m not that worried about him but I think Little should see more high leverage situations.
The Cubs kept it close, were leading but that line up for the first game was embarrassing. It seems pretty common under the Thed regime we concede one game every double header.
I can’t see any justification in keeping Hendricks around if he gets bombed again today. Whether it’s a dfa or Il more
Write in words how you would decide when to take out Horton in each start?
Horton has thrown 50 pitches a game in A ball and High A and now AA. he’s 3 years removed from TJ surgery. So at some point you would at least let him start building up to 80 or so pitches if you’re going to keep pretending he’s going to be a starter. The Cubs already have enough 50 pitch starters. Cautious-Fine. But this is ridiculous.
“he’s 3 years removed from TJ surgery.”
1st time he pitched after TJS wS March 29th 2022. That is 2 years. Math is hard.
He had the TJ surgery in College Einstien. And you’re right Math is hard for you. He pitched his senior year in college after the surgery.
Are you still working on your GED, or did you give up on that like you did on a real career?
It kind of looks like to me that every pitcher in Tennessee has the same inning limit and it appears Iowa has a five inning limit.
Could be wrong. I don’t follow minor league games all that closely.
Hey Spotty the clown-
Scouting grades: Fastball: 60 | Curveball: 50 | Slider: 70 | Changeup: 45 | Control: 55 | Overall: 55
Though Horton was one of the top two-way prospects and two-sport talents in the 2020 Draft, he went unselected because he wanted to play baseball and football at Oklahoma. He never got any time at quarterback for the Sooners and missed his first baseball season following Tommy John surgery in February 2021, but he came back to dominate in the 2022 postseason and lead Oklahoma to a second-place finish at the College World Series. Signed for a below-slot $4.45 million as the seventh overall pick that July, he won Cubs Minor League pitcher of the year accolades in his 2023 pro debut, reaching Double-A while posting a 2.65 ERA, .191 opponent average and 117/27 K/BB ratio in 88 1/3 innings.
I copied this just for you. Tell me, Were you BORN an a**hole, Or did you grow into one naturally? He’s now 3 years removed from TJ surgery. idiot.
Little ended the inning and faced three batters in the next.
I thought it odd on some of the lineup choices as well. Used to see a couple of platoon swaps for doubleheaders but the regulars usually played both. Maybe cuz it’s April, who knows. Morel needs a couple days off to regroup. When he slumps, it’s painful.
Counsell had all his RH hitters batting against the lefty in the 1st game and all his LH hitters batting against the RH in the 2nd game. No different than any other manager in baseball would have done. DH’s are excuses for managers to get Part Time players AB’s as it always has been. Nothing new here. He’s not reinventing the wheel.
Unless you have an 80 million dollar lefty hitter that tunes up lefty pitchers that is.
Craig is what he is he will do great for you but he will make you crabby with his pitching moves
As long as he avoids prolonged losing streaks, something Ross couldn’t do, I’ll be happy. I’ll still complain/question some of his moves though.
For the Wisdom haters, today is a perfect example as to why you have him on the roster. Happ’s banged up and if anything happens to the other three, he’s available to play. Also, this is a perfect guy for Wisdom to not face.
I’ll take Counsell every day over your “counsel”.
Did that make you feel clever?
Counsell won a lot of games with similar questionable decision making as the Brewers skipper. He also drove fans insane with a LOT of them.
Counsell also LOST a lot of games with his questionable decisions as the Brewers skipper.
And yes, he drove fans insane with a LOT of them.
Gibalt is not the setup man the Reds need anyway. He blew too many leads and gave up deciding runs in tie games last season to be a true setup man. They have no one to count on to get them to Diaz, something I pointed out all offseason.
A supposed contending team deserves better from the front office.
Have you not seen Cruz pitch this year so far? He has lost weight, changed his release angles some and is pitching like he should be the closer. His pitches are nasty and has been consistent, which was his major issue last year. Should be Cruz as the closer and Diaz as the setup guy?
He has been effective so far, but you said it – so far. Let’s see later in the season. Last season, he was not so hot later in the season, but then again, the bullpen was burned out due to starters who couldn’t last five innings. Unfortunately, there is a lot of that going around with the majority of yhe staff once more.
This is why. Like you even care since your In echo chamber mode. That people here can’t take you seriously. The Reds starters are all in the middle of starter innings. They are not burning out the bullpen anymore than most teams now. They have 2 guys which they didn’t have last year to help though. Martinez and Sutter. 2 pitchers that you refuse to give the FO any credit for that can pitch 2-3 innings.
You saw that last night with Ash going at after 5+.
Get a different schtick
Gibaut isn’t supposed to be a setup guy. I give credit to the Reds front office here for picking him off the waiver wire and just turning him into something useful.
This comment coming from a guy named big wiff lol
Hall has always had control issues, even in the minors. Averaged a 14% BB-rate in the minors. How could anyone think that would translate well into the majors? I guess they have 1 more option left to work on some things in the minors but if he hasn’t figured it out by now, he’s probably not SP-material.
It may not have been the plan, but having a hard throwing lefty for the pen is not too bad a consolation prize.
That was the issue with a young Freddy Peralta. Then the Brewer pitching lab took over…
@pmollan
Peralta had a 9.5% BB-rate in the minors. You can work with that but with a 14% for Hall in the minors, that doesn’t translate to success at the majors.
The Lab begs to differ…
Sounds like he strikes out a lot!!!!
I wouldn’t take his opinion very seriously he tends to strike out
Everyone in baseball knew Hall was not a starting pitcher so move him to the pen. Could be useful in that role.
Pirates start 5-0. Since then 6-10, time for Shelton to get the axe. He’s the most inept manager.
They had a similar start and fade to black last year.
I think the Reds have their setup man already and his name is Diaz. Cruz should be the closer as he seems to have fount consistency and may be one of the best relievers in either league currently.
There is a big difference between closer and middle relief. A whole different mentality and level of pressure. You also need a short memory, as John Franco used to say. Maybe Cruz has it, maybe he doesn’t.
DL Hall is a absolute bum and always has been I don’t know what these morons running the show in Milwaukee seen, I don’t care if burnes only has one year left they could’ve gotten a lot better then what they got.
I was also surprised at thw return, even given he was in his walk year.
Brewers are in need of a starting pitcher….and yet Bauer is just still sitting there for league minimum. UGH.
Three strikes from Theo wannabe Jed Hoyer give Happ big money bringing Kyle Hendricks back and Hiring CC and give him big money