MILWAUKEE -- At the same time Brewers starter Aaron Civale was working into the sixth inning in Milwaukee's eventual 5-1 walk-off win in 10 innings against the Red Sox at American Family Field on Tuesday, a rehabbing Jose Quintana was 90 minutes up Interstate 41, pitching for the High-A Wisconsin Timber Rattlers in what was expected to be his only outing to test a left shoulder impingement.
More split-screen action is coming Wednesday afternoon, when Freddy Peralta starts the Brewers’ series finale against the Red Sox while Brandon Woodruff takes the mound for the Timber Rattlers, continuing a comeback from shoulder surgery that was recently delayed by a right ankle injury. If all goes well, Woodruff would pitch again in the Minors next Tuesday at Triple-A Nashville before the Brewers decide whether it’s time to bring him back to the big leagues.
Things can change quickly, as the Brewers have been reminded often during a regular season that reached the two-month mark on Tuesday. But after scrambling for so long to field a full rotation, they appear close to having too many starting pitchers for too few spots.
“What do you do? Do you tell Woody, ‘You’re not coming back?’ Do you tell Quintana, ‘You’re not coming back?’” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said while mulling the scenario. “Or do you release somebody on the pitching staff when there’s two-thirds of the season left to go and depth is needed?
“What do you do?”
For Murphy, the answer was to prepare his players for the potential of difficult moves, like the one they made twice this month in sending down their 2024 Most Valuable Pitcher Award winner, Tobias Myers, or like the one they made Monday in optioning rookie right-hander Logan Henderson back to Triple-A despite a 1.71 ERA through his first four MLB starts. Both handled the news like professionals, said Murphy, who has lauded players’ understanding of why depth matters so much to small-market teams.
That understanding helps explain why Henderson was sent down instead of Quinn Priester, who has one Minor League option remaining but would lose it if he spends nine more days in the Minors this season. Likewise, the Brewers could face a call on right-hander Chad Patrick, a last-minute addition to the Opening Day roster who has earned his keep with a 2.97 ERA in 12 appearances, including 11 starts so far this season.
“I’ve talked to Chad Patrick about that type of stuff,” Murphy said. “Nothing final, but we’re not trying to trick anybody or anything else. We’re caring for players and loving the players and helping them understand, like, ‘This is how we have to do business.’”
Murphy said he told Patrick, “You’ve been an incredible pitcher. Don’t start thinking for us and don’t start thinking for the front office. They know what they’re doing. They’ve been through this before. Woodruff went through this, Corbin Burnes went through this.”
Quintana’s outing in Grand Chute, Wis., began with a long first inning in which he surrendered three runs on five singles, including a run-scoring bloop that came after Quintana believed he had the hitter struck out. He went on to throw 71 pitches in all, allowing six hits (all singles) and three runs with one walk and three strikeouts.
If he’s ready to return, he could start for the Brewers on Sunday in Philadelphia or during the subsequent series in Cincinnati. Someone will have to come off the Brewers’ active roster, and history suggests they will do everything possible to make sure it’s someone they can retain in the organization.
“It’s the way we’ve been successful and I think we have to do it that way,” Murphy said. “Part of this is understanding how this operation works, and that means if you have options …”
Supervising Club Reporter Adam McCalvy has covered the Brewers for MLB.com since 2001.