The Brewers were without one of their best relievers on Thursday for the start of a grueling, five-game series against the Cardinals. But it was for a happy reason.

The team placed Freddy Peralta on the paternity list Thursday while he was already hustling home to Milwaukee for the birth of his first child. To replace Peralta, the Brewers recalled left-hander Eric Lauer ahead of a series of five games in four days, including a doubleheader on Friday.

“We knew this was coming,” Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. “We didn’t know when it was coming, but it was going to happen at some point this week. Actually, going into [Wednesday’s game in Cincinnati], it looked like it wasn’t going to happen, but that’s how these things work. It’s a surprise, a little bit.

“So, he’s off, and hopefully he’s getting there safely and most importantly, we have a healthy birth and he gets there on time.”

Peralta, 24, signed a five-year contract extension in Spring Training and has been one of baseball’s most valuable relievers in 2020 thanks to his ability to pile up strikeouts while working multiple innings. He’s 3-1 with a 3.29 ERA and 44 strikeouts in 27 1/3 innings, and he ranks sixth among Major League relievers with 0.9 Wins Above Replacement, per FanGraphs.

The timing of Peralta’s return depends on the birth, Counsell said. The Brewers’ bullpen will be crucial in the coming days, particularly on Friday, when Milwaukee plans to start Josh Lindblom in one game of the doubleheader, but it has not named a starter for the other game. It could be another bullpen game. Brent Suter has already made a pair of three-inning spot starts for the Brewers this season.

Lauer has been part of the Brewers’ taxi squad on this road trip and threw one simulated inning to hitters in Cincinnati in an effort to stay in game shape. He was excellent in his only relief outing for the Brewers this season (six strikeouts in 2 2/3 scoreless innings against the Cubs on July 26) but he then struggled in a pair of starts and was demoted to the alternate training site until Thursday.

What’s next?
The Brewers have their schedule through Sunday. After that, who knows? The National League postseason picture is jumbled as teams enter their final regular-season series, with the Brewers, Cardinals and Reds all vying for second place in the NL Central and the automatic berth that comes with it, while also in the NL Wild Card picture with the Marlins, Phillies and Giants.

• MLB postseason standings

And, there’s a chance that things won’t be settled by Sunday. If the Brewers and Cardinals get in all five games, the Cardinals will have played 58 games this season. If those two remaining games have postseason implications, then the Cardinals will travel to Detroit on Monday to play a doubleheader.

“We're going to circle the United States in an airplane for six hours to burn fuel, then we'll land where we need to land,” Counsell said.

He was joking.

“If that becomes something that needs to happen,” Counsell said, “we'll just stay in St. Louis until we know where our destination is. … We're not there yet. We don't want to go back to Milwaukee. That's what we're trying to avoid.”

Lindblom keeps it simple
How did Lindblom reset himself midway through his return season to Major League Baseball? By simplifying.

Entering his start in one of the games Friday, Lindblom is coming off consecutive solid outings against the Cardinals and Royals, during which he allowed one run and six hits over 10 1/3 innings with zero walks. It was a much better showing than his 6.46 ERA in his first seven starts, which preceded a two-outing stint in the bullpen, during which Lindblom was forced to pare down his extensive arsenal of pitches.

“Out of the bullpen, you don’t have time to figure out what’s working over the course of a game,” he said. “You’ve got to come in and identify two pitches, maybe three pitches max, and then kind of go with those. I remember my first year in the big leagues, my bullpen coach would always tell me, ‘Establish the fastball away. Know your fastball command that day, and then what’s your out pitch?’ That was kind of the mindset coming out of the bullpen.

“Then, as the game goes on, I’m able to use other pitches. But, early on, having the mind =set of attacking the zone, getting ahead. Then, the feel comes later.”

Lindblom reported good news from the homefront, as his wife, Aurielle, underwent a successful medical procedure on Tuesday and is doing well, Lindblom said. Their extended family is helping care for the couple’s children while Lindblom and the Brewers are on the road.