The Milwaukee Brewers are a few games away from clinching the top seed in the National League. Brewers manager Pat Murphy is setting up his playoff strategy with his starting rotation. However, Trevor Megill's injury has thrown the bullpen into question ahead of the postseason. In order to remedy the issue, Milwaukee brought in Bruce Zimmerman to replace Joel Payamps.
Payamps was a last-resort option for Murphy in his bullpen, appearing in 28 games this season. However, the Brewers decided to give a chance to Zimmerman, a reliever who missed the majority of the last two seasons with injuries. A couple of weeks before the playoffs, the southpaw is finally ready to make his return to the big leagues and could have a big impact this fall.
The Brewers announced the moves on their social media page. Milwaukee designated Payamps for assignment in the minor leagues to make room for Zimmerman. The former has been a solid contributor for Murphy this season, but he does not have the high-end talent necessary to earn time in a playoff series. Zimmerman, on the other hand, could help pick up for Megill's absence.
As a whole, the Brewers are as dangerous as any playoff contender in the NL. Milwaukee has a decent shot to notch 100 wins on the season even without Megill in the fold. The All-Star closer hopes to come back in time for the playoffs, but Murphy is preparing for life without him. Having Zimmerman back in the lineup gives Murphy another lefty to turn to late in games.
Getting Zimmerman back now is huge for the Brewers. He will have a couple of outings to ease himself back into the big leagues before the intensity starts to ramp up. Milwaukee has its sights set on a World Series title. Despite injuries in the bullpen, the veteran reliever could be the small piece that pushes them over the hump.
