The Milwaukee Brewers have been quietly stumbling into the All-Star break. They’ve lost three of their last four games. And now they’re pulling the plug on what would have been one of the most anticipated pitching matchups of the season.
Jacob Misiorowski will not face Paul Skenes and the Pirates on Sunday afternoon. The Brewers made the call after Misiorowski reported some fatigue following his July 7 start against St. Louis. Reporter Sophia Minnaert broke the news.
It’s not a panic move. But it’s not nothing, either.
Misiorowski throws harder than just about anyone in baseball. His fastball averages 100.5 mph. When a guy who generates that kind of velocity says his arm feels a little off, even just tired, the front office pays attention. Two-time NL Manager of the Year Pat Murphy is being careful here. Milwaukee’s World Series aspirations basically ride on Misiorowski’s right arm. So they’re hitting pause.
The timing works in their favor. The All-Star break is right around the corner. That gives Misiorowski an extra six days to rest and recharge before the second half. But it also means fans don’t get to watch two of the most electric young arms in the sport go head-to-head. Left-hander Robert Gasser gets the ball instead. He’ll try to salvage the series for Milwaukee against Pittsburgh’s rookie sensation.
This comes after the Brewers already placed Brandon Woodruff and Kyle Harrison on the injured list. President of baseball operations Matt Arnold has to be looking at the rotation a little differently right now. Depth is suddenly a real question.
Misiorowski finishes the first half with a 10-4 record, a 1.62 ERA, 167 strikeouts and a 0.757 WHIP. He’s holding batters to a .148 average. Those numbers lead the league in multiple categories. They’re not just good. They’re historic for a guy this young.
The Brewers and Pirates play at 12:15 p.m. ET. Milwaukee just needs to get through this one and get to the break. Then they can reset and hope their ace comes back fresh.
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