The beginning of June is just over a week away, but the first-place Milwaukee Brewers have some tough decisions to make before then.
Despite a relatively brutal injury bug bite, the Brewers find themselves in first place, just ahead of the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Bucs got off to a 20-8 start, but have since fallen back to earth. Milwaukee, meanwhile, has steadied, and along with the St. Louis Cardinals has been one of the best teams in the NL Central of late.
The Central is wide open, and the Brew Crew are one of just two teams with a .500 record or better in their last ten games. Despite a loss to the Houston Astros on Monday, the Brewers are fresh off a sweep on the Tampa Bay Rays, one of the best teams in baseball. Should they keep up this effort, there's no question they're among the frontrunners in the division, at the very least.
Considering their injury issues, though, keeping up with the day-to-day roster moves has been tough for the fanbase, let alone general manager Matt Arnold. Expect more roster fluctuation as some of those important players return.
Brewers who won't be back: Bryson Miller or Jake Cousins
Am I taking the easy way out? Absolutely I am.
In the last week-plus, Milwaukee called up Tyson Miller and Jake Cousins to help out in the bullpen. Both have pitched admirably so far in their big-league stints, though Miller has the lower ERA in less appearances. Both are righties, and both were called up for bullpen depth.
Unfortunately for one of the two players, the likes of Matt Bush and J.T. Bukauskas should be back soon, meaning Milwaukee needs to open up a roster spot (or two). Miller is flexible considering he has experience as a starting pitcher, and can throw multiple innings as a relief pitcher. Cousins has struggled this go-around with the Brewers bullpen. He started the season hot, with a 1.37 ERA and 6.95 FIP in 4 2⁄3 innings his first time up. Now, his ERA is up to 3.68, which is respectable but trending in the wrong direction.
Brewers who won't be back: Colin Rea
Milwaukee's starting pitching depth has been tested early this season, but Colin Rea's time at the major-league level should be done shortly. Rea is 32 years old and has a 5.52 ERA in six starts. That's just a smidge over his career ERA, which is also over five.
It begs the question whether Rea is in the right profession, or what the Brewers see in him to begin with.
I don't mean to be harsh, but Milwaukee already has Corbin Burnes and Brandon Woodruff on the roster. Can they really not fill out the rest of the rotation? Well, they can't when four starters are injured.
Brandon Woodruff is on the 60-day injured list and won't be back for quite some time. Eric Lauer and Wade Miley are on the 15-day injured list. Jason Alexander joins Woodruff on the long-term IL as well. It's been a tough year to be a starting pitcher for the Milwaukee Brewers.
Rea will make the start on Tuesday night against the Houston Astros. Should it go poorly, he could receive the call sending him back to Nashville, or worse, by the end of the night.
Brewers who won't be back: Mike Brosseau
I'm not sure what exactly the future holds for infielder Mike Brosseau, but it doesn't look promising right now. The 29-year-old is listed no higher than third at any position on Milwaukee's official depth chart, and is slashing just .226/.273/.452 in 25 games played.
Brosseau doesn't get on base enough to warrant consistent playing time. Give Craig Counsell credit for trying to get Brosseau going, playing him essentially every third day. At his best, Brosseau can play multiple positions and be an asset at the plate. At his worst, he can't stay healthy and is a liability.
That's the version of Brosseau the Brewers have received so far this season. With the Tampa Bay Rays just two seasons ago, Brosseau struggled to reach the Mendoza line. Then, in 2022, he had a resurgence with the Brewers. Milwaukee always gets the best out of rejects from elsewhere. Unfortunately for Brosseau, he hasn't followed that up with a successful 2023 campaign.
Luke Voit is expected to come off the injured list in due time, and if Brosseau hasn't improved dramatically, he could be a DFA candidate.
