Milwaukee’s October blueprint is beginning with its two hottest arms. Jacob Misiorowski is lined up for Saturday’s National League Division Series opener, with Logan Henderson expected to follow in Game 2 on Sunday as the Brewers wait to learn whether the Cubs or Padres will come to American Family Field.
Misiorowski and Henderson set the front end
Manager Pat Murphy stressed that nothing is final until the games arrive, but the club’s setup points strongly toward Misiorowski in Game 1 and Henderson in Game 2. It follows the order Milwaukee used at the end of the regular season, with Misiorowski working 5 1/3 innings against St. Louis on Sunday before Henderson threw live batting practice Tuesday during the club’s first workout of its bye.
- Game 1 is scheduled for Saturday. If Milwaukee faces the Cubs, first pitch is set for 4 p.m. ET; if the opponent is San Diego, the start moves to 8:30 p.m. ET.
- Henderson is the expected choice for Sunday’s Game 2.
- The Brewers will host the winner of the Cubs-Padres Wild Card Series.
“Everybody understands that Miz and Henderson are probably going to be the main guys,” Murphy said. “They are clearly our best two starters at the moment, so that is likely where we go.”
Misiorowski brings a remarkable regular-season line into the postseason. He finished first in the Majors with a 1.80 ERA, 252 strikeouts and a 0.80 WHIP. Opponents hit .157 against him, the lowest average ever recorded by a qualified pitcher in a full-length season.
For catcher William Contreras, the biggest shift in Misiorowski’s year was not simply the jump in results.
“What impressed me most was what he did away from the field,” Contreras said. “He showed so much more maturity through the offseason. He arrived with a plan, knew what he wanted to accomplish and came ready every day. You saw the results of that.”
Murphy said the five-game format requires more than simply assigning the top two starters to the first two dates. The Brewers want to maximize their best pitchers, he said, while retaining the flexibility to adjust once the series begins.
Rotation depth remains unsettled
Beyond the first two games, Milwaukee is keeping its options open. Murphy had already declined to define Dustin May’s postseason role after the veteran endured a difficult finish to the regular season.
The Brewers have several possible paths for the remaining innings:
- Dustin May remains under consideration despite his late-season struggles.
- Left-hander Robert Gasser is in the conversation after posting a 1.67 ERA across his final six appearances.
- Rookie left-hander Shane Drohan could fit in a shorter outing.
- Left-hander Kyle Harrison could play his way onto the NLDS roster with a strong showing in this week’s intrasquad work.
Milwaukee also has not settled on its roster balance. In last year’s NLDS against the Cubs, the Brewers carried 12 pitchers and 14 position players, choosing a baserunning specialist rather than an additional arm. Murphy said the club is again weighing matchup needs, pinch-hit possibilities and who might be available for late-game assignments.
That calculation is complicated by the postseason rulebook. Extra innings do not begin with a runner at second, leaving open the possibility of a 14- or 15-inning game. Murphy noted that runs can be harder to find in October, when clubs face deeper pitching staffs and have more off days to deploy their best relievers.
The postseason roster for each round must be submitted on the morning of Game 1.
Bye week is about staying sharp, not chasing a perfect routine
The Brewers earned the National League’s first-round bye by finishing with baseball’s best record for the second consecutive season. Their task now is to turn rest into readiness without letting the week become overly complicated.
“Don’t overthink it,” Christian Yelich said. “It is baseball practice. We will do what we do for a few days and be ready.”
Milwaukee took Monday off, then returned Tuesday for defensive work and live batting practice. Henderson threw, as did Grant Anderson, who was activated from the 15-day injured list Monday. The club plans heavier work Wednesday and Thursday behind closed doors, followed by a Friday workout open to reporters.
Murphy wants the sessions to feel genuine rather than staged.
“The word that comes to mind is authentic,” he said. “You cannot manufacture real at-bats. People have talked for years about a layoff knocking them out of rhythm, and that can happen. It comes down to the players understanding that they have to stay with it.”
He expects the competitive edge to rise as the week moves along, particularly Wednesday through Friday. Murphy also warned that the Brewers cannot assume their regular-season record carries any value once the postseason begins.
“This will not happen because we won a lot of games and look good on paper,” Murphy said. “We have never been a team that just wins on paper. We have to find that hunger and understand how hard this path is.”
Health updates and a little clubhouse relief
First baseman Andrew Vaughn returned to live at-bats against Henderson and is a full participant this week after landing on the 10-day injured list over the weekend following a severe flu-like illness during the final road trip.
Third baseman Joey Ortiz was not taking part in the same full workload. Milwaukee is proceeding carefully after Ortiz ended the regular season dealing with abdominal, groin and right knee issues.
- Brandon Woodruff completed a five-week throwing program Sunday. He is awaiting final guidance from surgeon Dr. Keith Meister on whether he can begin mound work in a long-shot attempt to return later this October should Milwaukee make a deep run.
- Pitchers Coleman Crow, Colton Gordon and Garrett Stallings are working with the club this week as extra players.
- Catcher Darrien Miller and infielder Jonathan Ornelas are also in camp as additional depth.
There has been room for a breather amid the preparations. The team held a dinner Tuesday night on the stadium club level, and a mentalist visited the clubhouse. Reliever Abner Uribe was left shaking his head after the performer correctly identified the name of a friend Uribe had silently chosen.
“I don’t like magic,” Uribe said.
