Brewers to stick with six-man rotation for now

Sproat was able to generate 13 swings and misses in his outing, and he allowed only four hard-hit balls in the contest. He had very little issue in back-to-back outings against the Reds; firing 11 1/3 innings while allowing just two runs and striking out 17 over that timeframe. The former Met prospect has lowered his ERA to 5.28, and will try and keep his good run going against the Diamondbacks on Sunday in Arizona.

The option all the way to the ACL is likely a procedural one, as it’s feasible the Brewers need to create a roster spot in Triple-A before they send the 27-year-old to Nashville. The southpaw has pitched decently — if inconsistently — in his time with Milwaukee, and will almost assuredly be back before the summer ends.

Gasser gave up seven hits, walked one and struck out five. A single, a walk and a double got the Reds their first run in the first inning. Two more came against Gasser in the fifth inning when Elly De La Cruz hit a two-run home run. Gasser has a 4.54 ERA. He’s lined up to face the Diamondbacks at home this weekend.

Facing exclusively right-handed batters, the left-handed Drohan did well to keep the Reds off the board here despite needing 98 pitches to get 13 outs. He labored through many long at-bats and traffic-riddled innings to get there though and didn’t have great command of either his curveball or slider and thus, struggled to put hitters away. This was just the second time in five starts since being fully unleashed as a starter where he failed to complete at least five innings. He’s scheduled to face the Reds again next time out followed by the Diamondbacks in a two-start week.

Sproat gave up one hit, walked none and struck out 10. He improved to 2-4 with the win. Sproat was dominant against the Reds on Tuesday, but the Brewers decided to pull the plug after 80 pitches and six innings. The 25-year-old left his last start with a right hamstring cramp, which likely factored into the decision. Sproat has a 5.43 ERA and a 4.12 xFIP. He’s lined up to face the Reds at home next week.

Sproat appears to be fine after leaving his previous start with a right hamstring cramp. He’s going to remain in Milwaukee’s rotation as they stick with a five-man mix now that Brandon Woodruff is back in the equation. It appears to be lefty Robert Gasser heading to the bullpen as the corresponding move.

Gasser gave up a first-inning run but ended up getting more than enough help fro Milwaukee’s offense, which responded with eight runs, as he completed six innings for the first time since 2024. It seems unlikely he’ll get another turn in the rotation with veteran Brandon Woodruff (shoulder) coming off the injured list, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see Gasser stick around in a multi-inning relief role.

Drohan’s fastball velocity had been holding up quite well as a starter, but his first fastball was down about one mph today and his slider was down by about two mph. Fortunately, he still mostly produced soft contact, with David Fry’s 380-foot homer being the obvious exception. Drohan departed with a one-run lead, but that failed to last long. He’s 1-1 with a 4.43 ERA and a 19/6 K/BB over 20 1/3 innings in four starts since being added to the rotation at the beginning of the month. He’ll probably keep the spot following Brandon Woodruff’s return and face the Reds next week.

Sproat was replaced by Chad Patrick just one batter after coughing up a grand slam to Daniel Schneemann in the fourth inning. He retired the first nine hitters he faced, striking out five of them, before melting down in the fourth. The 25-year-old continues to show brief flashes of dominance before his command ultimately falters and he implodes. That was the case in this one as he completely lost the feel for his fastballs, missed too many spots, and then hung a two-strike curve that Schneemann demolished. He’s obviously in jeopardy of missing his next start against the Reds on Monday. There should be some clarity on his status at some point in the next few days.

Gasser departed with a 1-0 lead that Aaron Ashby blew in the seventh before Ashby got his 10th win. Gasser is still looking for his first, having gone 0-3 with a 4.88 ERA in his five starts. This was his best showing to date, but it would have been more impressive if the Guardians lineup wasn’t so depleted. If he stays in the rotation, he’ll face the Braves on Sunday. However, the Brewers could have Brandon Woodruff back then.