The Brewers Have a Puzzle To Solve in the Starting Rotation

The Milwaukee Brewers have patched together their starting rotation ever since the 2025 season kicked off.

The injuries started to pile up back in spring training when Aaron Ashby, and DL Hall, and Tobias Myers all hit the shelf.

Since then, Aaron Civale, who made his return to the mound on Thursday, made just one start before landing on the injured list with a strained hamstring. Likewise, Nestor Cortes is currently on the 60-day IL with a strained elbow flexor.

Combine those ailments with the recent injury to Jose Quintana and the extended absence of Brandon Woodruff, and the Brewers have been forced to rely upon arms who weren’t expected to be in the picture this early into the season.

Fortunately for the Brewers though, many of their young arms have answered the call in a huge way thus far and have been essential pieces in keeping this ball club afloat.

But reinforcements are coming soon, and the Brewers will need to figure out what the best version of their starting rotation looks like moving forward.

How are they going to balance the return of their veteran arms with the young hurlers who have earned a spot in the rotation? It’s a fascinating question. So, let’s dive into how the Brewers can make all of the pieces fit in their pitching staff.

Stats taken prior to play on May 23.

Milwaukee’s Young Arms Have Forced Their Way Into The Rotation

When the season began, the Brewers simply needed all the help they could get in the rotation. As a result, several young arms have been forced into pivotal starting roles. Some have answered the call in a big way and have been essential to the team’s success thus far.

Chad Patrick

Rookie Chad Patrick has been the unsung hero of the rotation through the first 51 games of the 2025 season.

After making one relief appearance in the first series of the season, Patrick has since moved to a full-time starting role and has thrived. In his 10 starts, Patrick is pitching to a 2.94 ERA across 52 innings, and he leads Milwaukee’s rotation in fWAR at 1.3.

That’s also the highest fWAR among rookie pitchers to this point and is tied for the third-highest fWAR among all rookies, position players included.

It’s not always stress free with Patrick. He doesn’t overpower hitters in the box (just a 7.62 K/9 as a starter), and he tends to pitch to a lot of contact. However, he trusts his pitch mix that is made up of over 90% fastball usage and has shown an ability to make the right pitch at the right time.

How the Brewers choose to use Patrick will be fascinating to see. He’s earned every bit of a role in the rotation, but he’s also a candidate to shift to swingman-type role in the bullpen as well.

Logan Henderson

A more recent standout has been Logan Henderson, a top-20 prospect in Milwaukee’s farm system who has excelled in his three major-league starts.

In his three starts, Henderson has allowed just three runs (1.69 ERA) while striking out 23 batters (12.94 K/9) to just four walks. He has a WHIP of 0.81 thus far, and he’s looked like he belongs in the big leagues to this point.

He’s won all three of his starts, and he even racked up a whopping 20 whiffs in his most recent outing against the Orioles. Per Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Henderson is the 10th pitcher since 1901 to strike out seven more more batters in each of his first three career MLB outings, and he’s the first to do it in Brewers history.

Henderson was supposed to be a spot starter to fill in when needed. That’s why he was sent back down to Triple-A after his MLB debut where he fanned nine hitters across six innings of one-run ball. But he’s exceeded any and all expectations to this point and has earned more big-league starts.

Henderson’s emergence for the Brewers was rather unexpected and could make for a difficult decision for Milwaukee. But as long as he’s throwing like this, the Brewers can’t move him out of the rotation.

Quinn Priester

Quinn Priester‘s Brewers tenure hasn’t exactly started off on the right foot. Acquired in a rather controversial trade amongst the Brewers faithful, Priester has had some up and down starts to this point.

The 24-year-old has made eight appearances (six starts with two outings following an opener) and is pitching to a 4.66 ERA across 38.2 innings. There haven’t been many strikeouts, there’s been a concerning number of walks, and the quality of contact against him has been significant at times.

In turn, his peripherals aren’t exactly encouraging, including a FIP of 5.17 and SIERA of 5.23. But Priester is still developing as a big-league starter, and optimizing his pitch mix has been a work in progress.

Priester is still trying to find a fastball that performs well at this level, but it’s encouraging to see his slider perform well to this point. The breaking pitch has a whiff rate of 33.7% and an opponent batting average of .173 in 2025.

Still, upon the return of Milwaukee’s established veterans, Priester is likely the odd man out in the rotation. He has one option remaining, and sending him to Triple-A to continue his development may be their best way to get the puzzle pieces to fit together this season.

Veteran Arms Who Are On the Mend

Fortunately for the Crew, reinforcements are finally on the way. The Brewers have several key arms who are currently working on rehab assignments and are close to making their return to the big-league mound.

Aaron Civale was already activated and returned to the mound against Pittsburgh on Thursday night. As long as he’s healthy, Civale will have a spot on the pitching staff. While he might not be a frontline starter, he’s one of those arms that gives the Brewers a chance to win every time he toes the rubber, which is an immensely valuable trait within the organization.

Brandon Woodruff

Brandon Woodruff was supposed to make his season debut last weekend against the Minnesota Twins, but ankle tendonitis caused a setback and ultimately delayed his return to the mound.

Woodruff has since continued his rehab starts and should be back in the big leagues in the near future.

Woodruff has made seven rehab appearances thus far, two in High-A and five in Triple-A. In 29.2 innings of work, he has allowed eight earned runs (2.43 ERA) while striking out 27 (22.3% K%) and walking nine (7.4% BB%).

Obviously, there is a lot of unknown with Woodruff. He averaged roughly 92 mph on his four-seam in his Triple-A outings, so it will be interesting to see how that pitch plays and develops in his return to the majors.

Per skipper Pat Murphy, Woodruff will make at least one more rehab start and will then be re-evaluated. Once he’s good to go, he’s got a locked-in spot in this rotation as long as he’s healthy and feeling right.

DL Hall and Aaron Ashby

DL Hall and Aaron Ashby are two southpaws who are looking to eventually carve out a role in the starting rotation, but it appears as if they’re going to be utilized as long relievers out of the bullpen when they eventually return to the mound.

Ashby made his fourth rehab appearance with Triple-A Nashville on Wednesday evening after making a start with the Brewers’ ACL team to kick off his rehab assignment. In his four outings (all as a reliever) with Nashville, Ashby has allowed three hits and just one earned run.

He’s also walked five batters while striking out four. As has been the case with Ashby throughout his young big-league career, command will once again drive how successful he can be on the mound.

Hall also made his second appearance with Triple-A Nashville on Wednesday. His first came as a starter while Wednesday’s outing came in a relief role. Hall has pitched 5.2 scoreless innings and dazzled in his most recent outing, fanning six across three innings of work while only walking one.

Both of these players will be significant additions to the big-league pitching staff, but given the number of options the Brewers already have in the rotation, they’ll likely be used out of the bullpen to start.

How Long Until the Brewers Call Upon Jacob Misiorowski?

Let’s not forget that the Brewers have one of the most exciting young arms waiting in the wings in Triple-A with Jacob Misiorowski.

Misiorowski, Just Baseball’s No. 82 overall prospect and Milwaukee’s top pitching prospect, is doing all that he can to earn a promotion to the majors.

In 10 appearances (nine starts) with Triple-A Nashville this season, Misiorowski has a 1.55 ERA and a 0.92 WHIP in 52.1 innings of work. He’s struck out 63 (31.3% K%) and walked 20 (10% BB%), but he’s really rounded into form in his latest handful of appearances.

Misiorowski surrendered five runs in an outing back on April 16. Since then, in six starts (33.2 IP), he has given up just three runs (0.80 ERA) with 42 strikeouts and eight walks. Opponents are hitting .158 against him over that stretch, and most importantly he has a 66% strike rate over his last six outings.

Misiorowski’s fastball has averaged 97.4 mph this year with a whopping 33.2% whiff rate. Most recently, however, Misiorowski touched 103 mph with his heater and has consistently flashed triple digits late in ball games.

The Brewers are going to take caution with their flamethrower and ensure he’s got his command under control before they call him up to the show.

Given the soon-to-be crowded state of the rotation, and the fact that he will need to be added to the 40-man roster, there are minor roadblocks standing in the way of his promotion.

The Brewers are in no rush to call him up, but if he maintains this level of production, there’s no sense in wasting bullets in Triple-A. They may need to make room for him sooner rather than later at this rate.

So, What Does the Best Version Of the 2025 Rotation Look Like?

Taking all of that into consideration, what does the best version of the 2025 Milwaukee Brewers rotation look like as they look to give the Cubs a run for their money at the top of the division standings?

The Odd Men Out

Tobias Myers has already been relegated to Triple-A twice this season, and it appears that’s where the Brewers plan on keeping him while he works to recapture his 2024 form. Myers has an ERA near 5.00 in 20 innings this year since making his return from an oblique injury.

Quinn Priester is another arm who could use some time in the minors as he continues to develop his arsenal. As mentioned, having an option remaining is noteworthy, and his early struggles makes it difficult to rationalize giving him a spot over some of the names returning.

Nestor Cortes is currently on the 60-day injured list and likely won’t make his return until late June or July. For the time being, given the uncertainty of his return, he won’t factor into the rotation in the near future.

As much as all Brewers fans would like to see Jacob Misiorowski as soon as possible, it feels as if the Brewers are going to take their time with the flamethrower. Given that Patrick and Henderson are already up and holding their own, the Brewers won’t be in any rush to call Misiorowski’s number until they know he’s there to stay.

In the end, Chad Patrick moving back to the bullpen feels like the most likely scenario. He can serve as a valuable swingman on the big-league roster, and doing so would open the door for Henderson to remain in the rotation, or provide an opportunity for a Misiorowski call up if he continues to blow hitters away in Triple-A.

The Most Likely Rotation

Freddy Peralta — Peralta is the anchor at the top of the rotation and has pitched like one of the better arms in the NL so far this season. Through 10 starts, he’s fifth in the NL among qualified starters in ERA (2.59). He’s cut down on the homers allowed while still maintaining some strong strikeout material.

Brandon Woodruff — As mentioned earlier, Woodruff has a solidified spot in the rotation as long as he’s healthy and his body is holding up. The two-time All-Star hasn’t thrown a big-league pitch since September 23, 2023, but he’s was one of the better pitchers in the NL before his injury. Not to mention his veteran presence and mentorship in the clubhouse is just as valuable as what he brings to the bump.

Aaron Civale — Civale has had some nice moments in a Brewers uniform since coming over from Tampa Bay last July, and the Brewers value what he brings to the mound. Seeing that he has no options remaining and that he’s making $8 million this season, he has a spot in the rotation.

Jose Quintana — Quintana, who is on the IL with a left shoulder impingement, is eligible to return on May 26. It’s yet to be seen whether or not he will be activated on that day, but when he does return — which is expected in the near future — he will continue to be a valuable piece of this rotation. Quintana has been terrific for Milwaukee this year, pitching to a 2.65 ERA in six starts.

Logan Henderson — The Brewers of all teams have anything but a set and steady rotation. No team used more starters than Milwaukee last season, and they’ve already used a whopping 11 different starters this year (including openers). Only the Dodgers have used more starters than Milwaukee.

Knowing that, the final spot in the rotation is likely going to be a fluid situation based on the performance of young arms. The best version of the rotation probably includes Misiorowski when that time eventually comes, but that likely won’t happen unless more injuries pop up or players like Patrick or Henderson falter.

For the time being, with Henderson throwing the way he currently is, the last spot should belong to him. If things are going well for him, he can stick as the No. 5 starter. If he stumbles, the Brewers can turn back to Patrick, or that could be when Misiorowski finally gets the call.