SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Freddy Peralta pitched a career-high 165 2/3 innings last season. In his mind, that is only a first step.

Only five Major Leaguers reached 200 innings last season. Peralta said he believes that is certainly within reach this season as he takes over as the No. 1 starter in the Milwaukee rotation.

"Now, the new goal is to be a little better than that," Peralta said. "It's a challenge. It is good for me and my career. I want to get there. I know I can do it."

Peralta made his Cactus League debut in the Brewers' 10-4 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Sunday, 25 days before his first Opening Day start against the New York Mets.

Managers prize innings eaters, although 200-plus innings is a lofty goal infrequently reached.

Corbin Burnes, the Brewers' Opening Day starter the last two seasons, is the only Brewers starter to reach 200 innings in a season since 2012. In 2012, Yovani Gallardo hit 204, and in 2022, Burnes threw 202 innings.

"He's going to have to be," Milwaukee manager Pat Murphy said about Peralta's workhorse aspirations.

"Look at our staff. A lot of inexperience on the starting staff. I think he is going to have to take it from that five-plus to that six-plus [innings per start], which is a big jump.

"He can definitely do it because we are not asking him to do something that he was not capable of in the past. Much less than if he gets a little better. He's very capable."

Peralta reached 30 starts and 210 strikeouts for the first time in 2023, averaging 11.4 strikeouts per nine innings.

As Peralta is well aware, health plays into an ability to hit any long-term goal. He was limited to 18 appearances in 2022, when a right shoulder strain suffered in a May 22 appearance against Washington cost him 10 weeks. He missed two weeks in September with inflammation.

"I just have to go day-by-day," Peralta said. "You are not going to feel good every day, but you have to try. You have to do the little things [off] the field to [stay healthy]. It is a big challenge that we all have in baseball. We just have to follow that to get to that point."

Peralta took pride in his resilience a year ago when he made every scheduled start during the regular season and started Game 2 of the National League Division Series against Arizona.

"I felt great and grateful about my recovery last year," he said. "I was ready to pitch every five days. I was feeling good all the time. I'm just proud because it is hard when you are coming from a year like 2022 for me. I got hurt and only was able to pitch half the year. Feeling good the whole year and having success was good."

Peralta used all four pitches and touched 96 mph with his fastball in his three innings Sunday. He gave up three runs but was displeased with only one pitch, a 1-2 fastball that caught too much of the plate that Lourdes Gurriel Jr. took to the opposite field for an RBI double in a two-run first inning.

He threw 49 pitches in his first official start, although he faced hitters thrice on the back fields earlier this spring.

"It's important that they get out there, get their innings," Murphy said. "Things happen to them. Things don't go perfectly. They learn from it."

Quero goes yard

Jeferson Quero hit his first home of the spring, and the length of the at-bat caught the Brewers' attention. Quero's two-run homer came on the 12th pitch of his sixth-inning at-bat.

"That at-bat right, that is a championship level at-bat," Murphy said. "That's the kind of stuff he does. He impresses me more and more every time I see him."