The Milwaukee Brewers are heating up at the perfect time. After a decisive victory over the Washington Nationals on Saturday, the Crew has now strung together three straight wins. Today, they're aiming for the sweep in the series finale, and they're turning to one of their top prospects to get the job done.
Right-hander Logan Henderson, ranked as Milwaukee's No. 6 prospect, gets the start. Henderson has been absolutely dealing in Triple-A Nashville, posting a microscopic 1.02 ERA over 17 2/3 innings. The Brewers recalled him earlier this morning, sending Easton McGee back to Nashville in a corresponding move. Henderson has only made one big-league appearance this season—two innings in a loss to the Royals on April 4—but he showed real promise last year, finishing with a 1.78 ERA across five starts. With Brandon Woodruff landing on the IL this weekend, Henderson might be looking at more than just a spot start.
On the mound for Washington is left-hander PJ Poulin, who will serve as today's opener. Poulin carries a 4.11 ERA through 16 appearances this season. Expect righty Zach Littell (7.85 ERA in 28 2/3 innings) to follow him out of the bullpen.
Milwaukee's lineup is looking sharp. Brice Turang—who reached base three times yesterday—leads things off, followed by catcher William Contreras, who has been on an absolute tear with nine hits over his last three games. The heart of the order features Gary Sánchez, Jake Bauers, and Garrett Mitchell. Brandon Lockridge, the only Brewer with a multi-hit performance in yesterday's win, bats sixth. Sal Frelick, David Hamilton (starting at third base), and Joey Ortiz round out the bottom of the lineup.
Now for the injury updates. First, the good news: Rehabbing outfielder Jackson Chourio, who was expected to rejoin the Brewers tomorrow in St. Louis, left yesterday's Triple-A game after fouling a ball off his foot. Fortunately, X-rays came back negative, and he appears to have avoided a major setback. It's still unclear if he'll be reinstated during the Cardinals series. As for the bad news, manager Pat Murphy revealed today that reliever Angel Zerpa—placed on the IL earlier this week with forearm tightness—is "deciding whether or not to have Tommy John surgery." That's a tough blow for the bullpen.
As always, grab your Brewers gear, settle in, and enjoy the action. Let's see if the Crew can make it four in a row.