Brewers Notes: Peralta, Frelick, McKendry

Freddy Peralta and Sal Frelick have been two bright spots for an underwhelming Brewers team so far in 2025. Peralta ranks among the top five qualified NL starters in both innings pitched (45 1/3) and ERA (2.18). His 2.94 xERA (eighth among NL starters) is similarly impressive, while his 3.57 SIERA and 3.45 FIP suggest he’ll continue to deliver the kind of reliable performance the Brewers have come to expect. Meanwhile, Frelick leads Brewers batters (min. 50 PA) with a 123 wRC+. The wide gap between his .351 wOBA and .319 xwOBA suggests he’s due for some regression, but even so, both of those numbers represent an improvement over his .292 wOBA and .278 xwOBA from 2024. He’s making more contact and hitting the ball harder than he did in his first two seasons. The early results have been a good reminder of why he was once a first-round pick and a consensus top-50 prospect in the game.

So, when both Peralta and Frelick exited early on Sunday, potential injury concerns put a damper on what was otherwise a good day for the Brewers; they beat the Cubs 4-0 to avoid a series sweep at the hands of their division rivals. Perlata exited after his sixth scoreless inning with a sore groin, which manager Pat Murphy later relayed to reporters (including Adam McCalvy of MLB.com). Thankfully for Milwaukee, Peralta is not particularly concerned, suggesting he left the game out of an abundance of caution, more so than anything else (per McCalvy). That’s not hard to believe, considering his shutdown performance against the team that has boasted the NL’s best offense over the first several weeks of the 2025 season. Peralta needed just 89 pitches to cruise through six frames, striking out seven and walking one. Only one runner reached scoring position against Peralta, and he only got there due to an interference call against first baseman Rhys Hoskins on a pick-off attempt. In short, Peralta was dominant, and the Brewers will hope he can pick up where he left off in his next start. An off-day on Thursday will allow him some extra rest before his next scheduled start against the Rays on Saturday, May 10.

As for Frelick, the young outfielder was lifted in the top of the fourth inning yesterday after hurting his left knee on a swing two innings prior. “Left knee discomfort” was the initial diagnosis the team offered reporters (including McCalvy), but they were concerned enough to send him for imaging (also per McCalvy). They will presumably know if it’s anything more than just discomfort following an MRI. Even a short stint on the IL for Frelick would be tough for Milwaukee to stomach, given how much he has meant to the team on both sides of the ball. Not only has he been one of the Crew’s best hitters and baserunners, but his glove in the outfield is especially important with Blake Perkins and Garrett Mitchell on the IL. Defensive metrics like DRS and OAA haven’t been thrilled with Frelick’s performance thus far in 2025, but he is only one year removed from a Gold Glove-winning season. The Brewers’ outfield depth is already being tested, and losing Frelick would make that problem substantially worse.

In another bit of Brewers news, McCalvy reports that they have traded minor league right-hander Evan McKendry to the White Sox in exchange for cash considerations. McKendry, 27, was originally drafted by the Rays in 2019. The Brewers acquired him at the deadline in 2023 in return for catcher Alex Jackson. The righty has a 5.23 ERA and a 5.15 FIP in 36 games (19 starts) and 139 1/3 innings at Triple-A since joining the Brewers organization.