Sunday, June 29

MILWAUKEE -- Jacob Misiorowski’s final fastball during Wednesday’s duel with Pirates ace Paul Skenes registered 99.5 mph, according to Statcast. His next pitch, a slider for a called third strike to end the fifth inning, was his 74th pitch of the afternoon. 

He wanted to keep pitching. By every indication, he could have. But in the first indication of the caution the Brewers will take with the 23-year-old budding ace’s workload during his first summer in the Major Leagues, the club went to the bullpen. 

“I understood,” said Misiorowski, ranked by MLB Pipeline as the Brewers' No. 4 prospect. “I think the competitor in me wanted to go [out to the mound] again and keep going, because I thought I could. But I completely understand. They’re trying to do what’s best for me. I think it’s just part of the game.”

Teams have a multitude of ways to scientifically measure wear and tear on pitchers these days, including monitoring the movement of every pitch in real time. They also know that every inning isn’t created equal in terms of the stress on a pitcher, and they track that, too.

The old rule of thumb was to try to stay within a 50% innings increase year over year. For example, Misiorowski threw 97 1/3 regular-season innings last season between Double-A Biloxi and Triple-A Nashville, with a lighter load late in the year when the Brewers shifted him to relief to both control his innings and position Misiorowski for a potential callup to the big league bullpen. 

Using the old rudimentary guide, officials would start watching very closely when Misiorowski approaches 140-150 innings this season. He is at 79 1/3 innings when you combine his 63 1/3 innings at Nashville and his 16 stellar innings in three Major League starts. 

That leaves about 65-70 innings before he surpasses the 50% jump. At his pace from his first three MLB starts (5 1/3 innings per), he would get to that territory in about 12 more starts. 

“We just want to be smart about it, that’s all,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said, “like we would any other pitcher, whether they’re throwing 99 [mph] or 92. You’ve got to take some precautions for his health and understand what he’s done in the past. 

“It’s like training a marathon runner. You don’t just run the 26 [miles]. You probably could. Instead you run 12 or 14 and you train a little bit. I don’t know exact marathon training, but I guarantee you could physically do it, but what’s that going to mean for down the road? I think we’re trying to do the same thing.” 

There are options to manage a pitcher’s workload. Teams can employ shorter starts, like the Brewers did Wednesday in pulling Misiorowski at five innings -- a decision influenced in part by the fact he was pitching on four days’ rest for the first time in the Majors. 

Teams can also add extra days between starts, which has become common practice even for veteran arms during pitching coach Chris Hook’s tenure. Teams accomplish that via off-days on the schedule or by adding a sixth starter here and there. Milwaukee is well-stocked, with last year’s Brewers most valuable pitcher, Tobias Myers, and another top prospect, Logan Henderson, pitching at Triple-A. 

Another option is to insert a summer vacation of sorts and skip a start at a point it makes sense. All of those choices are under consideration. 

Then there’s the off-the-field strain, which the Brewers are taking measures to reduce. On Friday, the club informed the club’s broadcasters and beat writers that Misiorowski’s media availability for the time being would be limited to the day before he starts and postgame after his outings. Other clubs employ a similar policy with high-profile pitchers. 

“It’s coming,” said Murphy of the down-the-road matter of Misiorowski’s workload. “You saw us take him out after 74 pitches, right? And he gets it. He gets it.”

Brandon Woodruff is scheduled to start Sunday for Triple-A Nashville at Jacksonville, which would line him up to make his long-awaited return to the Milwaukee rotation the following weekend in Miami -- which, coincidentally, is the site of his last MLB start in September 2023, prior to right shoulder surgery. 

Of course, Woodruff will have to pass his Minor League tune-up first. It will be his third rehabilitation assignment, after the first was cut short by a right ankle injury, and the second by a 108 mph line drive that struck Woodruff on the pitching elbow. 

Left-hander Nestor Cortes, meanwhile, threw two simulated innings on Friday at American Family Field and expects to begin a rehab assignment with Nashville on Wednesday. Sidelined since April by an elbow injury that first bothered him last season with the Yankees, he will need multiple Minor League starts to get back to game shape. Cortes is targeting the week following the All-Star break to pitch for the Brewers.

Second baseman Brice Turang took “Chatting Practice” with MLB Network before batting practice on Friday, answering questions from fans and host Siera Santos. He talked about how he deals with high-pressure situations, playing in the Brewers-Cubs rivalry and what he would be doing if baseball didn’t call to him -- hint, it would require a medical degree. There was also a surprise drop-in from an old friend from Santiago High School in Corona, Calif. 

“Those people were awesome to me in high school, and they always keep up with me,” Turang said. “It’s just cool to hear that people care.” 

Hannah Tews painting/Photo courtesy Milwaukee Brewers

The Brewers on Friday unveiled the latest in a series of murals around the community. The image featuring Brewers catcher William Contreras was illustrated by Brent Schoonover and painted by local artist and Milwaukee native Hannah Tews in Black Cat Alley, at 2021 E. Ivanhoe Place just off North Avenue. The anime-inspired piece is the third mural installed as part of the Brewers continued “Beyond the Diamond” community engagement effort.

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