The Milwaukee Brewers are in the middle of one of their best stretches of the season, led by Brandon Woodruff and the pitching staff. After the Brewers used an 11-game winning streak to take the lead in the National League Central, injuries struck. Both Jackson Chourio and Jacob Misiorowski hit the injured list. However, Milwaukee manager Pat Murphy finally got good news.
Misiorowski, who is out with a tibia injury, completed a bullpen early this week. After making it through without any pain, the Brewers scheduled him to face live batting on Saturday. The rookie All-Star completed three simulated innings with no issues. According to MLB.com's Adam McCalvy, Misiorowski feels good enough to pitch as soon as he can.
“Jacob Misiorowski simulated three innings today against a group of Brewers hitters and said it went great,” McCalvy said. “He expects to be ready to pitch as soon as the club chooses after he’s eligible to come off the IL.”
The earliest that Misiorowski can come off the IL is August 15. If Murphy is willing to start him immediately upon his return, the flamethrower would face the Chicago Cubs in a pivotal divisional series. However, the Brewers could choose to exercise caution instead of rushing him back. Milwaukee had plans to reduce the amount of innings Misiorowski pitched to prevent injury.
When healthy, Misiorowski and Woodruff are as intimidating a pitching duo as any other in the league. Even though Chourio and the offense have been excellent this season, the Brewers' defense has stolen the spotlight. A highlight-reel throw from Blake Perkins to home plate helped Milwaukee escape with a win against the New York Mets on Friday.
Regardless of which facet of the game is playing better, the Brewers eagerly await Misiorowski's return. If he can return to the form that helped him represent Milwaukee in the All-Star Game, Milwaukee's playoff stock will rise even more. For now, fans have to wait and see how Murphy and his staff approach his eventual return.
