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Brewers Outright Daz Cameron, Select Anthony Seigler

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TODAY: Cameron cleared waivers and was outrighted off Milwaukee’s 40-man roster, according to Cameron’s MLB.com profile page.  It isn’t yet known whether or not Cameron will accept the assignment or head for free agency.

JULY 1: The Brewers announced today that they have selected the contract of infielder/catcher Anthony Seigler. Francys Romero of BeisbolFR.com reported that move earlier this week. Outfielder Daz Cameron has been designated for assignment in a corresponding move.

Now 26 years old, Seigler was the Yankees’ first-round selection, No. 23 overall, back in 2018. He became a minor league free agent following the 2024 season and in November signed a minor league pact with the Brewers. He’s spent the season so far in Triple-A Nashville, where he’s turned in a strong .277/.416/.465 batting line with seven home runs, 11 doubles, four triples and 20 stolen bases in 23 attempts. Seigler has walked in a colossal 18.4% of his plate appearances against a 19.1% strikeout rate.

Seigler has split his time between second base (203 innings), catcher (201 innings) and third base (94 innings) during his time in Nashville. He’s unlikely to see much time at second base with Brice Turang enjoying a strong season there, and the left side of the infield has improved of late with Joey Ortiz and Caleb Durbin both enjoying productive months in June. Still, Seigler could be an upgrade over Andruw Monasterio on the bench. Monasterio has bounced between the four infield positions but is hitting just .192/.323/.269 this year.

His ability to crouch behind the plate could also be of value to the Brewers. It was reported a couple of months ago that William Contreras has been playing through a finger fracture. His performance on the year is around league average but has been declining. He had a .217/.337/.313 line and 87 wRC+ in the month of June, a far cry from his previous production. Perhaps having Seigler around will allow the Brewers to give Contreras some time off his feet. Eric Haase is also on the roster and is having a decent year at the plate, in a sense. His overall production is around league average but it’s been in a tiny sample of 54 plate appearances and with a big 40.7% strikeout rate.

Seigler’s call to the majors will be his first. He played in parts of six minor league seasons with the Yankees organization and is now midway through his seventh pro season. He has a full slate of options and can be controlled until he reaches six years of big league service time. That means he could be a depth piece for the Brewers for quite a long time, if his performance justifies his continued presence on the roster.

Cameron, 28, was added to Milwaukee’s roster just over two months ago. He has since been serving in a bench outfield role but with a tepid line of .195/.214/.293. He was once a notable prospect and has often performed well in the minors but never in the majors. He now has a .200/.258/.326 line in 472 big league plate appearances dating back to his 2020 debut.

He’s now out of options, so the Brewers have bumped him off the 40-man today. Given his performance, he’s likely to pass through waivers unclaimed. He has previously been outrighted in his career, which gives him the right to reject further outright assignments in favor of electing free agency.

Photo courtesy of Dave Kallmann, Imagn Images

Pirates Re-Sign Yohan Ramírez, Release Peter Strzelecki

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TODAY: Ramirez has signed a new minor league contract with the Pirates, as per his MLB.com profile page.  Ramirez has been assigned to Triple-A Indianapolis.

JULY 4: The Pirates have released right-handers Yohan Ramírez and Peter Strzelecki, per Kevin Gorman of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Gorman adds that Ramírez triggered a release clause in his contract.

Ramírez, 30, signed a minor league deal with the Bucs in the offseason. He has been putting up good numbers this year, so it’s understandable that he triggered his release clause. He has thrown 29 innings for Triple-A Indianapolis with a 3.41 earned run average. His 28.2% strikeout rate and 52.9% ground ball rate are both well above average, while his 8.4% walk rate is right around par.

Despite that solid work, the Pirates didn’t call him up. He’ll head to the open market to see what other opportunities are out there for him. In addition to his recent minor league numbers, he has some decent major league work on his track record. He threw 169 innings for various clubs over the previous five seasons with a 4.58 ERA, 22.8% strikeout rate, 11.3% walk rate and 44.6% ground ball rate.

Other clubs around the league have shown interest in him in the past. He exhausted his final option year in 2023, which led to him getting passed around the league. He went to the White Sox, Mets, Orioles, Mets again, Dodgers and Red Sox from September 2023 to July of 2024 via waiver claims or small trades. He eventually cleared waivers late last year and was able to elect free agency at season’s end, which led to his deal with the Bucs. Based on all of that previous interest, his phone could be ringing in the coming days.

As for Strzelecki, 30, his case seems to be more of a straightforward release. Outrighted off the big league roster in March, he has posted a 9.90 ERA in 20 Triple-A innings this year. A tiny 43.5% strand rate played a role there but he also had subpar strikeout and walk rates of 14.7% and 11.8% respectively.

That’s a small sample size and he has some decent big league numbers in his past as well. He logged 83 2/3 innings over the past three seasons with a 3.44 ERA, 24% strikeout rate and 8.4% walk rate. His poor form in 2025 will naturally tamp down interest but perhaps there’s a club out there that feels there’s a way to get him back on track.

Photo courtesy of Charles LeClaire, Imagn Images

Diamondbacks Place Pavin Smith On IL, Select Tristin English

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The Diamondbacks announced a series of roster moves this afternoon headlined by their placement of first baseman Pavin Smith on the injured list with an oblique strain. Infielder Tristin English had his contract selected from Triple-A to replace Smith on the roster while left-hander Tommy Henry was recalled to the majors and placed on the 60-day injured list to create a 40-man roster spot for English.

Smith, 29, has played just one of Arizona’s last four games and now heads to the shelf with an oblique strain. The severity of the injury is not yet known, nor is it clear when Smith will be able to return, though he’ll be out until after the All-Star break at the very least. It’s a tough blow for a Diamondbacks roster that’s already been ravaged by injuries to key pieces like Corbin Burnes, A.J. Puk, Justin Martinez, and Gabriel Moreno this season.

The club’s first-round pick all the way back in 2017, Smith made his big league debut in 2020 but scuffled at the big league level for several years before finally breaking out during his age-28 season last year. Since then, Smith has been a key cog in the Diamondbacks’ lineup with a fantastic .265/.363/.485 slash line in 139 games, with 17 homers, 26 doubles, and a 13.7% walk rate. That sort of production is difficult to replace, and bench pieces like Randal Grichuk and Jake McCarthy will be called upon to help take up the load in the Arizona lineup.

One other potential contributor could be English, who is set to make his MLB debut should he make it into a game. The club’s third-rounder back in 2019, English has spent time in all four corners throughout his time in the minors can could be a major help for the club off the bench or against left-handed pitchers. The 28-year-old scuffled a bit at Triple-A last year but has hit incredibly well across 58 games at the level this season with a .338/.388/.549 slash line to go with nine home runs, 23 doubles, and a strikeout rate of just 14.2%. Eugenio Suarez and Josh Naylor have the infield corners locked down on a fairly regular basis for the Diamondbacks, though Smith’s departure leaves DH at-bats for the taking and English could contribute in the outfield as well. It’s also possible that Naylor, who has been playing through a neck injury in recent days, could benefit from extra time at DH that would allow English to step in at first base.

As for Henry, the southpaw underwent elbow surgery late last month. Manager Torey Lovullo told reporters (including Alex Weiner of AZ Sports) today that Henry’s procedure repaired his UCL with an internal brace rather than a full replacement (Tommy John) surgery. That could improve Henry’s odds of pitching at some point during the 2026 season, but the decision to move him to the 60-day IL remains largely procedural as he won’t pitch again in 2025 regardless. With that being said, the move does afford Henry the opportunity to collect an MLB salary and earn big league service time while he rehabs his surgically repaired elbow.

Details On Bryan Reynolds’ Limited No-Trade Protection

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The Pirates appear to be open for business regarding trade talks for most of their roster (sans Paul Skenes) this summer. In a trade market without many quality bats available, that could make two-time All-Star Bryan Reynolds a particularly intriguing commodity for some teams. One potential wrinkle in Reynolds’s availability is his partial no-trade protection, which allows him to block trades to a list of six teams. A report from Noah Hiles from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette yesterday revealed those teams are the Yankees, Mets, Blue Jays, Dodgers, Giants, and Padres.

All six of those teams are in playoff contention and stand out as likely to not only buy this season, but do so fairly aggressively. It’s not unheard of for a player to waive their no-trade clause, and some players with limited no-trade protection even specifically prioritize putting likely contenders on their no-trade lists to maximize the amount of leverage they have in determining their destination should their team decide to trade them. With that being said, the news of Reynolds’ no-trade list certainly makes a deal sending him to any of those six clubs far less likely.

Many of the clubs Reynolds can block a trade to appear to be imperfect fits on paper. The Dodgers, Yankees, and Mets all have deep corner outfield mixes and seem very unlikely to prioritize adding a bat like Reynolds when they have larger needs elsewhere. The Giants likely made their big splash of trade season already when they acquired Rafael Devers from the Red Sox, although Mike Yastrzemski is in the final year of his contract and would be unlikely to stop San Francisco from adding an impact bat. Addison Barger’s breakout and George Springer’s resurgence have more or less locked down the right field and DH spots for the Blue Jays, and while there’s an opening in left field for the moment that figures to change as soon as Anthony Santander returns from the injured list.

Perhaps the clearest fit for Reynolds on his no-trade list is the Padres, who have long appeared to be a bat short in the lineup as they’ve cycled through options like Jason Heyward, Trenton Brooks, and Oscar Mercado with little success this year. There’s a clear opening in left field for Reynolds to theoretically step into, as well. With that being said, San Diego has operated under some extremely tight financial constraints in recent years that would make it difficult to see them deal a player like Reynolds, who is due more than $77MM after this season on his extension with the Pirates. It should also be noted that, despite Reynolds’s long track record of success in the majors, he’s in the midst of the worst full season of his career as he’s slashed just .232/.298/.384 with a wRC+ of 87 this season.

That combination of a hefty contract, a tough 2025 campaign so far, and now a list of six contenders who likely will not be in the market for Reynolds’s services could mean the Pirates won’t get as much interest in their star outfielder as they may have hoped. Even if that proves to be the case, however, Reynolds is sure to get at least some interest around the league. The Royals have already been connected to Reynolds just this past week, and there will surely be more outfield-needy teams who at least give the Pirates a call to see if there’s a match. Speculatively speaking, the Phillies and Cardinals stand out as clubs that could theoretically stand to make a substantial upgrade to their outfield who might have the resources necessary to take on Reynolds’s contract.

Tigers Select PJ Poulin

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The Tigers announced a pair of roster moves this morning. They’ve selected the contract of left-hander PJ Poulin to the 40-man roster and optioned him to Triple-A Toledo. Left-hander Sean Guenther was recalled from Triple-A and placed on the 60-day injured list to make room for Poulin on the 40-man roster. According to Evan Woodbery of MLive, Poulin had an upward mobility clause in his contract and the Tigers opted to add him to their 40-man roster in order to keep him in their organization.

Poulin, 29 later this month, was an 11th-round pick by the Rockies back in 2018. A two-way player in college, Poulin committed to pitching upon his move to affiliated ball. He looked quite good in the lower minors as a reliever in his first two years as a professional, but the canceled minor league season in 2020 lost him a year of development and he generally struggled with his effectiveness in the upper minors during his time with the Rockies organization.

He was dealt to the Tigers prior to the 2024 season and has looked quite good since then, as he posted a 2.10 ERA in 60 innings between Double- and Triple-A last year before posting a 3.72 ERA in 36 1/3 frames at Triple-A this season. That solid but unspectacular ERA comes with a much more impressive 33.8% strikeout rate, and that kind of strikeout stuff from the left side makes it easy to see why the Tigers decided it was worth it to add the lefty to their 40-man roster rather than risk losing him to another organization.

Making room for Poulin on the 40-man roster is Guenther, who has a 2.30 ERA and 2.73 FIP across 31 1/3 innings of work with the Tigers over the past two seasons. Guenther was on the shelf in the minors after undergoing hip surgery last week, meaning that the move to place him on the 60-day IL is largely a procedural one. With that being said, it does come with the side effect of allowing him to collect a big league salary and earn MLB service time until he’s activated and optioned back to the minor leagues.

Blue Jays Place Andres Gimenez On 10-Day Injured List

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The Blue Jays announced a flurry of roster moves this morning, headlined by their move to place second baseman Andres Gimenez on the 10-day injured list with an ankle sprain. Outfielder Joey Loperfido was recalled to the big league roster to replace Gimenez. In a second set of moves, right-hander Ryan Burr was activated from the 60-day injured list. Right-hander Lazaro Estrada was optioned to Triple-A and outfielder Will Robertson was designated for assignment to make room for Burr on the active and 40-man rosters respectively.

Gimenez suffered an ankle injury on Wednesday, and aggravated the issue further on Friday after initially attempting to play through it. He was viewed as day-to-day initially, but Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet noted yesterday that Gimenez was being sent for an MRI. That MRI revealed a sprain, and the Blue Jays evidently felt the issue was severe enough to warrant a trip to the injured list. Gimenez’s exact timeline for return is not yet known, but the timing of the injury means he won’t be back until after the All-Star break at the very earliest.

It’s a tough blow for the division-leading Blue Jays, as while Gimenez is batting just .218/.300/.322 on the year he’s offered his trademark strong glove at second base and has heated up considerably since returning from a quad strain at the start of June. In 25 games since returning, Gimenez had slashed .253/.340/.349 with a wRC+ of 101. A combination of league average offense and Gimenez’s stellar defense is enough to make him an extremely valuable player, as seen in 2023 when he posted 3.8 fWAR for the Guardians despite a 97 wRC+.

While Gimenez is on the shelf, the Jays appear likely to rely on some combination of Will Wagner, Leo Jimenez, and Davis Schneider at the keystone. Loperfido is replacing Gimenez on the roster after posting a 111 wRC+ at the Triple-A level throughout this season, but he hit just .214/.264/.350 in 81 games for the Jays last year and seems unlikely to be much more than a depth option for the club during this return to the majors. Acquired from the Astros as part of the Yusei Kikuchi trade, Loperfido does actually have some experience at second base in the minors but has been limited to the outfield and first base at the big league level.

As for Burr, the right-hander is now poised to make his season debut after being sidelined by a bout of right shoulder inflammation during Spring Training. Burr posted a 4.08 ERA in 75 innings with the White Sox between 2018 and 2022 before spending the 2023 campaign in the Rays’ minor league system. He joined the Blue Jays for the 2024 season and posted a 4.13 ERA in 32 2/3 innings of work with an impressive 33.6% strikeout rate. Toronto is surely hoping Burr can leverage that high strikeout rate into stronger results going forward, and if he can it wouldn’t be hard to see him become a late-inning option for the Jays to help set up Jeff Hoffman.

Making room for Burr on the 40-man roster is Robertson, who crushed the ball at Triple-A this year to the tune of a .288/.410/.582 slash line (159 wRC+) in 51 games to break down the door to the majors and force himself onto the big league roster for the first time in his career. He ultimately appeared in just three games at the big league level, however, and struck out in seven of his 12 plate appearances in the majors. He did notch his first big league hit before getting sent back down, however, and since then he’s continued to hit at a high level in the minors. The Blue Jays will now have one week to either trade Robertson or attempt to pass him through waivers. If he goes unclaimed, he can be outrighted to the minor leagues as a non-roster depth option for the remainder of the season.

Yankees Sign Geoff Hartlieb To Major League Deal

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The Yankees announced this morning that they’ve signed right-hander Geoff Hartlieb to a major league deal and selected him to the roster. Left-hander Jayvien Sandridge has been optioned to Triple-A to make room for Hartlieb on the active roster.

Hartlieb, 31, signed a minor league deal with the Yankees during the offseason and made his lone big league appearance of the season this past week against the Blue Jays. He was lit up for three runs on two hits and three walks while striking out three in one inning of work and was promptly designated for assignment. He ultimately cleared waivers and elected free agency but is now back in the majors with New York on a fresh MLB contract.

Prior to playing for the Yankees, Hartlieb had played in five MLB seasons across four organizations. He got his start with the Pirates in 2019 and struggled to a 9.00 ERA in 35 innings during his debut season but settled in and provided some solid middle relief help for Pittsburgh during the shortened 2020 campaign with a 3.63 ERA in 22 1/3 frames. Since then he’s made only sparing MLB appearances, with an ugly 8.59 ERA in 22 innings of work between 2021 and 2024 for the Pirates, Mets, Marlins, and Rockies.

Going forward, Hartlieb figures to offer the Yankees another depth option capable of going multiple innings. That could be a useful stopgap addition as they try to sort out a pitching staff that recent lost Clarke Schmidt to what will likely end up being season-ending Tommy John surgery. Schmidt’s injury leaves the Yankees very short on starting depth with Ryan Yarbrough, Gerrit Cole, and Luis Gil all already on the shelf. That could leave the Yankees relying on bullpen games every fifth day for the time being unless they’re willing to dedicate a rotation spot to right-hander Allan Winans. As for Sandridge, the lefty recently made his MLB debut and two runs on two walks, a hit batsman, and a homer while recording two strikeouts in 2/3 of an inning. He’ll head back to Triple-A and serve as optionable lefty depth for the Yankees going forward.

Nationals Recall Shinnosuke Ogasawara For MLB Debut

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The Nationals announced this morning that they’ve recalled left-hander Shinnosuke Ogasawara. Ryan Loutos was optioned to Triple-A to make room for Ogasawara, who is slated to make his MLB debut when he starts against the Red Sox later today, on the active roster. Ogasawara’s impending debut was first reported by the Japanese outlet Sponichi Annex.

Ogasawara, 27, signed a two-year deal worth $3.5MM during the offseason. He did not make the club’s starting rotation out of Spring Training and was optioned to the minor leagues, where he made just three starts before being sidelined by an oblique injury. Ogasawara spent two months on the shelf before beginning a rehab assignment in rookie ball last month. Since then, he’s advanced to the High-A level where he struck out five in four innings of work while surrendering two runs. Despite his most recent start coming in the lower minors, the Nationals clearly feel he’s ready to step into the club’s rotation to help fill in for the injured Trevor Williams, who was sidelined by an elbow sprain on Friday.

Prior to joining the Nationals, Ogasawara had spent nine seasons pitching for Nippon Professional Baseball’s Chunichi Dragons. His rookie season as an 18-year-old in 2016 was impressive as he posted a 3.36 ERA across 15 starts in Japan’s Central League, but he struggled at the highest level of NPB play over the next few seasons. He started to turn things back around in 2021, however, and from then on he posted ERAs of 3.64, 2.72, 3.59, and 3.12 across his final four years in NPB.

Impressive as that run prevention in recent years may be, there are some concerns. Ogasawara has struck out just 18.9% of batters faced during his time in NPB, and that’s dropped even lower in recent years as he posted a strikeout rate of just 13.6% for the Dragons last season. Among qualified starters this year in MLB, Ogasawara’s career figure in NPB would place him in the bottom 20 in terms of strikeout rate while his 2024 figure would place him second from the bottom ahead of only Padres righty Randy Vasquez. Vasquez has a 3.79 ERA this year in 18 starts despite shoddy peripherals, so it’s certainly not impossible to find success at the big league level with a low strikeout rate. With that said, it’s clearly an uphill battle to be a quality big league starter with that lack of strikeout stuff. The lefty’s 3.6% walk rate in 2024 should help matters, though, and it’s at least worth nothing that Ogasawara has actually struck out 24% of his opponents in the minor leagues this year.

Making room for Ogasawara on the active roster is Loutos, who was plucked off waivers from the Dodgers earlier this year but has surrendered ten runs (eight earned) in 7 1/3 innings of work for the Nationals across eight appearances where he’s walked (eight) more batters than he’s struck out (six). Loutos will return to Triple-A and continue serving as an optionable depth piece for the Nationals to call on when they need an extra arm for the bullpen.

Orioles Acquire Alex Jackson From Yankees

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9:23am: The Orioles have announced that they’ve selected Jackson’s contract and placed Sanchez on the injured list with a right knee sprain. Jorge Mateo was transferred to the 60-day injured list to create room for Sanchez on the 40-man roster.

8:44am: The Orioles have acquired catcher Alex Jackson in exchange for international signing bonus pool money and a player to be named later or cash considerations, per an announcement from the Yankees. Jackson is not on the 40-man roster, so a corresponding move will not be necessary unless Baltimore selects Jackson to the roster.

The move comes after catcher Gary Sanchez exited yesterday’s Orioles game with what the club described at the time as “right knee pain.” As noted by Matt Weyrich of the Baltimore Sun, interim manager Tony Mansolino did not have a more specific diagnosis available after the game but noted that Sanchez was set to undergo an MRI last night. The results of that MRI are not yet available, but it certainly seems as though a trip to the injured list is on the table. Weyrich was among those to report this morning that catcher David Banuelos had been added to the medical taxi squad following Sanchez’s injury, and now this morning’s acquisition of Jackson adds another potential replacement for Sanchez to the mix.

Jackson, 29, was selected sixth overall in the 2014 draft by the Mariners but didn’t make it to the majors until 2019 as a member of the Braves. He’s notched 124 games in the majors across parts of five big league seasons, with his largest showing coming as a member of the Rays last year. Jackson offers a solid glove behind the plate but virtually no offensive value with a career slash line of just .132/.224/.232. His performance in Tampa was even weaker than that as he hit just .122/.201/.237 in 58 games, leaving him with a 29 wRC+ that was not only 71% worse than league average but the second-worst figure among all players with at least 150 plate appearances in the majors last year.

It’s not exactly an exciting profile, but Jackson still offers the Orioles some depth at a time where additional options are extremely necessary for the club. Starting catcher Adley Rutschman has been sidelined since June 19 by an oblique strain, and since then depth catchers Maverick Handley and Chadwick Tromp were both sidelined by injuries of their own. That’s left backup catcher Gary Sanchez to take the starting role while being backed up by fifth-string backstop Jacob Stallings. With Sanchez now seemingly ticketed for an IL stint of his own, Banuelos or Jackson could be called upon to back up Stallings while the 35-year-old steps into a starting role.

That the Orioles appear likely to lean on a sixth catcher (and acquired a seventh) amid this rash of injuries underscores their refusal to promote top prospect Samuel Basallo to the majors. The 20-year-old is a consensus top 15 prospect in the sport and has torn the cover off the ball in Triple-A this year, slashing .253/.372/.547 with 16 homers in just 58 games and a 15.6% walk rate. While GM Mike Elias has suggested that he “hopes” to see Basallo play in the majors this year, it’s clear at this point that Baltimore doesn’t have much interest in bringing him up to the majors at this point in time. Perhaps he could be called upon late in the season as a September call-up, or there could be a specific aspect of Basallo’s game that the Orioles feel needs to develop further before he can debut. Potent as his bat has been, there’s long been questions about Basallo’s defensive ability behind the plate that may be leading the Orioles to be cautious about bringing him up to the majors as a regular catcher without more seasoning.

Brewers Activate Brandon Woodruff

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TODAY: The Brewers have officially activated Woodruff from the injured list and transferred Mitchell to the 60-day IL. Right-hander Chad Patrick was optioned to Triple-A to make room for Woodruff on the active roster.

July 3: Woody’s return is finally almost here. The Brewers have right-hander Brandon Woodruff listed as their probable starter for Sunday’s game against the Marlins. He is currently on the 60-day injured list and will need to be reinstated to the 40-man roster, though that should be as easy as transferring outfielder Garrett Mitchell the other way. Mitchell is currently on the 10-day IL but is out for the season due to shoulder surgery. The Brewers would still need to open an active roster spot.

The start will mark the end of an injury odyssey of almost two years. Woodruff last pitched in a major league game on September 23rd of 2023. Coincidentally, that game was at loanDepot Park, the same venue where Woodruff will take the mound in a few days.

After that start in Miami, Woodruff was sidelined by an injury to his throwing shoulder. Shortly thereafter, he required surgery to repair the anterior capsule in that shoulder. At the time of that procedure, it was expected that Woodruff would miss most or all of the 2024 season.

There’s never a good time for such a surgery but it was particularly awkward since that was slated to be his final arbitration year, with MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projecting him for a salary of $11.6MM. The Brewers reportedly discussed some trades but ultimately just non-tendered Woodruff, sending him to free agency. The two sides were eventually able to reunite on a backloaded two-year deal. The $17.5MM guarantee was spread out as a $2.5MM salary in 2024, a $5.5MM salary in 2025 and then a $10MM buyout on a $20MM mutual option. That deal allowed the Brewers to hang onto Woodruff for his recovery and eventual return to the mound, while kicking most of the financial commitment down the road.

Woodruff did eventually miss the entire 2024 season. There once seemed to be a chance for him to return to the mound early in 2025, but that path had a few twists and turns. He began a rehab assignment in April but was pulled off of that in May due to right ankle tendinitis. He restarted that rehab but a comebacker struck his throwing elbow in early June, setting him back yet again. He restarted the rehab once more, throwing 82 pitches for Nashville on Sunday.

It’s anyone’s guess what Woodruff can provide after such a long time away, but he had a really strong run prior to the shoulder problems. From 2019 to 2023, he tossed 595 innings with a 2.93 earned run average, 30% strikeout rate, 6.3% walk rate and 41.5% ground ball rate.

This year, he has logged 42 minor league innings with a 2.79 ERA. His 20.6% strikeout rate is well down from his pre-surgery form. His fastball is averaging 91.9 miles per hour in his Triple-A starts this year, well down from the 96-97 mph range he was in a few years ago. Perhaps he is still ramping up his strength from the long layoff, with the stop-and-start nature of his rehab presumably not helping.

Time will tell what kind of performance the Brewers get from Woodruff, but he joins an increasingly crowded rotation picture. That’s a remarkable turn of events compared to a few months ago, when the club was scrambling to patch the starting group together.

As of today, the Milwaukee rotation consists of Freddy Peralta, Chad Patrick, Jacob Misiorowski, Jose Quintana and Quinn Priester. Peralta’s strikeout rate is down a bit but he has a 2.91 ERA on the year. Misiorowski had a wobble in his most recent start but was dominant in his first three. Patrick has a 3.51 ERA on the year while Priester is at 3.35, though the latter is getting more grounders and fewer strikeouts. Quintana has a 3.30 ERA, though with some shaky peripherals.

Despite some early-season injuries, the Brewers have built up a rotation surplus. They optioned guys like Logan Henderson and Tobias Myers to Triple-A. They were going to bump Aaron Civale to the bullpen until he asked for a trade and was flipped to the White Sox. Now Woodruff is going to be added into the mix. Nestor Cortes, who has been sidelined since April due to a flexor strain, started a rehab assignment with three innings for Nashville yesterday. Robert Gasser, recovering from last year’s Tommy John surgery, could be a factor down the stretch.

The Brewers are clearly in win-now mode. Their 48-38 record puts them in possession of the second National League Wild Card spot, two games up on the Padres and Cardinals. Pitching surpluses have a tendency to disappear quickly but the Brewers have a tight budget and could perhaps use some of this pitching to bolster other parts of the roster. Woodruff, Quintana and Cortes are all impending free agents. Peralta’s deal has an affordable $8MM club option for 2026.

Photo courtesy of William Glasheen, Imagn Images

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