DETROIT – With DL Hall opening against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park on Wednesday night, April 22, the Milwaukee Brewers have now tied the Houston Astros for the most different starting pitchers utilized so far this season with 10.
Jacob Misiorowski leads the team with five starts, Brandon Woodruff and Kyle Harrison each have four, Chad Patrick three and Brandon Sproat two.
Logan Henderson, Shane Drohan and Coleman Crow have all made single starts, while Aaron Ashby and now Hall have opened as the Brewers continue to navigate injury and inconsistency among some of the younger pitchers in the group.
“They’ve been good,” manager Pat Murphy said. “Really have.”
The biggest name missing to date, of course, has been Quinn Priester, who was sidelined almost from the outset of spring training with what was later identified as thoracic outlet syndrome – a malady from which the right-hander has been slowly recovering.
The latest step in that process came Wednesday, as Priester began a minor-league rehab assignment with Class AAA Nashville at Charlotte.
“I think it’s still going to be a while,” Murphy said. “I don’t think we can get our hopes up too high. With the type of injury he has and not being able to face live hitters (up to this point) – a normal progression – I think it’ll be a minute.
“But I still think it’s encouraging news.”
Priester was scheduled to throw roughly three innings or 45 to 50 pitches but lasted only ⅔ of an inning and 29 pitches.
He walked three and plunked ex-Brewer Oliver Dunn in the first and then was pulled for Peter Strzelecki, who proceeded to allow a grand slam to LaMonte Wade Jr. to leave Nashville in a quick 5-0 hole.
Priester didn’t allow a hit but was saddled with four runs, walked three and hit a batter while striking out two.
A player can remain on a minor-league rehab assignment for 30 days, after which he either needs to be reinstated to the roster or returned to the injured list.
Murphy was asked if it’s possible Priester could need all 30 days, or at least close to that, before being ready to rejoin the Brewers.
“I mean, I think it’s a possibility,” he said. Murphy added Priester is scheduled to pitch next on April 28 and then again on May 3, which is the same day Milwaukee wraps up a three-game series at Washington.
“After the third in Washington, who knows?” he said. “That means he could be available as early as the ninth.”
Priester was a godsend for the Brewers in 2025, finishing 13-3 with a 3.32 ERA and WHIP of 1.24 in 29 appearances (24 starts) while striking out 132 in 157 ⅓ innings with Milwaukee winning 19 straight games he pitched in from May 30-Sept. 18.
Jackson Chourio, meanwhile, completed his first round of hitting on the field since being placed on the injured list with a fractured bone in his left hand on opening day.
The outfielder took swings with a coach pitching, and will continue to ramp up his activity level in the coming days.
“We’ll see where he’s at after this weekend,” said Murphy. “After we get home he’ll hit some off Trajekt (a video pitching simulator), simulate live at-bats, mix in BP and that type of thing. Then if we feel like he’s ready we’ll send him out (on a rehab assignment) and get him in some games.
“Get him going again. It’ll be fun.”
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Quinn Priester begins minor-league rehab stint with Class AAA Nashville
Reporting by Todd Rosiak, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
