Tuesday, July 07

ST. LOUIS -- The Brewers will have their ace on the mound for the start of the toughest day of the toughest stretch of their season.

Jacob Misiorowski is slated to start Game 1 of Thursday's doubleheader against the Cardinals at Busch Stadium, part of a five-game series over four days during a run of 18 games over 17 consecutive game days leading into the All-Star break. It’s no accident. Milwaukee has come to expect Misiorowski to deliver quality innings in bulk.

“You usually like your starter to not just sit down there” waiting for Game 2, manager Pat Murphy said. “It’s easier to just get him out there and get it going. You might say, ‘Well, what about the second starter?’ Well, it’s usually a guy that’s your sixth man in the rotation and is more used to being knocked around, so to speak, meaning, sent to Triple-A, sent back, sent to Arizona, whatever. That’s usually the deciding factor.”

Those factors were further indication that the Brewers plan to activate left-hander Robert Gasser to start Game 2 of the doubleheader. He was optioned to the Rookie-level Arizona Complex League Brewers last week but traveled with the big league team from Phoenix to St. Louis on Sunday night. Right-hander Logan Henderson, who is on the 15-day IL with a low back strain, is also with the big league team at Busch Stadium.

So, the Brewers felt content with the state of their pitching as this busy week began, even after Kyle Harrison (2 2/3 innings), Brandon Woodruff (3 2/3 innings) and Brandon Sproat (four innings) all went short while Milwaukee took two of three games from the D-backs during a somewhat sloppy series at Chase Field.

Going into the Cardinals series, was length the priority for Brewers pitchers?

“It’s not about needing innings; it’s about quality innings,” Murphy said. “We’re trying to win the game. Yes, we all understand what’s out there, and the possibilities, but I promise [on Tuesday] we’ll show up with 13 pitchers, and then we’ll have an extra pitcher [for the doubleheader].

“Somehow, somebody’s going to have to step up.”

Misiorowski has done that often this season, even though the team is a pedestrian 10-7 when he’s on the mound compared to 45-26 behind everyone else entering Shane Drohan’s start on Monday night.

That’s on the offense, because Misiorowski has done his part. He will go into Tuesday’s matinee as MLB’s leader in ERA among qualifiers (1.45), strikeouts (156), WHIP (0.78) and batting average against (.150). Corbin Burnes is the only pitcher in franchise history to lead his league in ERA or strikeouts. He led the way with a 2.43 ERA in 2021, the year Burnes won the National League Cy Young Award, then led the NL with 243 strikeouts in '22.

Speaking of franchise history, Misiorowski over the weekend became the first Brewers pitcher to make the All-Star team in each of his first two Major League seasons. That’s its own rare company.

Only eight pitchers have done that in the history of the All-Star Game: The Pirates’ Paul Skenes (first three seasons from 2024-current), the Rangers’ Yu Darvish (first three seasons from 2012-14), the Athletics’ Andrew Bailey (2009-10), the Mets’ Dwight Gooden (first three seasons from 1984-86), the Tigers’ Mark Fidrych (1976-77), the Mets’ Tom Seaver (first seven seasons from 1967-73) and Cleveland’s Herb Score (1955-56).

What makes Year 2 all the more satisfying for Misiorowski, he said Monday upon learning this news, is that he was voted onto this year’s NL squad via the players' ballot. Last year, he was added to the team by MLB.

“It just shows that people in the league understand that last year wasn’t just a gift,” Misiorowski said. “I think everyone realizes I deserved it last year. It’s cool.”

These are busy days if you work in one of baseball’s front offices, with the confluence of the MLB Draft on Saturday and Sunday followed by the Trade Deadline, which will be here before you know it on Aug. 3. 

With the Deadline in mind, all 30 MLB.com reporters were asked to identify one pressing need for each club. This was filed prior to Woodruff’s latest shoulder setback, but I would stand by my pick. 

Do you agree?

Brewers: More high-leverage bullpen arms

The Brewers have three reliable relievers at the moment in closer Trevor Megill, Abner Uribe and Aaron Ashby. But they can’t pitch every day, so Murphy needs more dependable options for leverage spots. Converted starter Chad Patrick has been that guy in the recent past, but he’s been fighting a funk in recent weeks. Left-hander Jared Koenig has also been that guy, but he just returned from more than two months on the injured list. The Brewers must decide whether they can count on those internal options, or whether to seek outside help.

We’ll have more later this week about the Brewers’ strategy going into the MLB Draft, but for now, here are the basics to know: The 2026 MLB Draft once again coincides with All-Star Game festivities, with Rounds 1-4 set for Saturday and Rounds 5-20 on Sunday in Philadelphia. 

NBC and Peacock will provide live coverage for the first 10 selections, beginning at noon CT on Saturday, followed by picks 11-40 on MLB Network, MLB.com, MLB.TV and MLB+, and picks 41-135 on MLB.com, MLB.TV and MLB+. 

The Brewers have picks 25, 66, 102 and 130 on Day 1. Everything else you need to know about the Draft is here in our MLB.com Draft preview.

Besides following Milwaukee's selections, we will have an eye on MLB Pipeline’s No. 27 Draft prospect, Cole Prosek, a catcher/third baseman from Magnolia Heights School in Senatobia, Miss., who is considered one of the top high school hitters in the country. He also happens to be the nephew of Brewers third-base coach Matt Erickson. 

To subscribe to Brewers Beat, visit this page and mark "Brewers Beat" from our newsletter list. Make sure you're following the Brewers or that they're checked as your favorite team.

View Online

© 2026 MLB Advanced Media, L.P. MLB trademarks and copyrights are used with permission of Major League Baseball. Visit MLB.com. Any other marks used herein are trademarks of their respective owners.

Please review our Privacy Policy.

You (mlb-newsletters@mlb.com) received this message because you registered to receive commercial email messages or purchased a ticket from MLB. 

Please add info@marketing.mlbemail.com to your address book to ensure our messages reach your inbox. If you no longer wish to receive commercial email messages from MLB.com, please unsubscribe or log in and manage your email subscriptions.

Postal Address: MLB.com, c/o MLB Advanced Media, L.P., 1271 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020.