MILWAUKEE -- Angel Zerpa, acquired in a December trade to add crucial depth to the Brewers' bullpen, is likely out for an extended period while dealing with left forearm tightness. The Brewers placed the left-hander on the 15-day injured list on Wednesday.
“This looks like it could be serious. He’s not going to be back any time soon,” manager Pat Murphy said. “Big blow, but we’re kind of used to that.”
Zerpa is expected to undergo additional testing, Murphy added before Wednesday’s game vs. Arizona. Zerpa last pitched on Saturday against the Pirates and had been scored upon in each of his last three appearances.
The Brewers acquired Zerpa from the Royals this past December, dealing away reliever Nick Mears and utility player Isaac Collins.
Murphy said Zerpa’s injury “just came up.” During the appearance against the Pirates, catcher William Contreras noticed a decline in Zerpa’s velocity and notified the dugout.
“William recognized that it wasn’t the same. That’s when we got him out of there,” Murphy said.
Zerpa is 0-2 with a 6.39 ERA in 12 appearances for the Brewers this season, surrendering 16 hits and nine earned runs in 12 2/3 innings. He has two saves and three saves.
The Brewers set their sights on Zerpa after he posted a 4.18 ERA in a career-high 69 appearances (two starts) in 2025. He set career highs for innings (64 2/3), strikeouts (58) and holds (14).
Zerpa was a dominant reliever for champion Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic, pitching 5 1/3 scoreless innings across six appearances in high-leverage situations, which tied for the tournament high. He held the United States scoreless over two-thirds of an inning in the championship game.
“You obviously can allude to that, but there's no proof why these guys get hurt when they do,” Murphy said. “There's no rhyme or reason. We don't know if there were remains of an old injury. You can't pin it on the WBC.”
To replace Zerpa, the Brewers selected 6-foot-7 left-hander Brian Fitzpatrick from Triple-A Nashville, where the 25-year-old posted a perfect 0.00 ERA in 10 1/3 innings so far this season.
“That's always the goal, to get up here and help out the organization in any way you can,” Fitzpatrick said Wednesday. The Brewers drafted Fitzpatrick in the 10th round of the 2022 MLB Draft.
“I'm a competitor. I love to compete, and I leave it all out there,” said Fitzpatrick, whose arsenal includes a five-pitch mix that features a two- and four-seam fastball, cutter, changeup and sweeper.