Milwaukee Brewers mailbag: The bullpen, starting pitching and Gary Sánchez

Injuries, injuries and more injuries.

Unfortunately for the Milwaukee Brewers, that's been the storyline to their season.

But somehow, despite their dearth of starting pitching, they've still been able to start out with a 14-8 record entering Wednesday. That was a half-game better than the Chicago Cubs and good for first place in the National League Central Division standings.

After finishing their road trip against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday, the Brewers return home to face the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays.

There were way more questions than I had time to answer, so thanks for all who wrote in. I tried to choose the more popular topics, so hopefully my responses hit the right notes.

Here we go.

Kevin: The bullpen has done a great job this year, but with most starters not yet working 5-6+ innings, I worry about their workload over time. What’s your take on this?

Todd Rosiak: Kevin's question, or some form of it, was probably the most asked this week. And, considering the way things have played out so far, it's easy to understand why. Light on established rotation candidates heading into spring training, the Brewers' depth in that area is already compromised due to injury that through 22 games nine pitchers have already taken a turn. What a change from the past few seasons, when Milwaukee had among the most consistent starting fives in the majors. That the Brewers were 14-8 despite that is impressive and the bullpen (90 innings entering Wednesday was 12th-most) has played a large role, even with closer Devin Williams sidelined. There is ample depth in terms of optionable bullpen arms. Even still, this type of workload isn't going to be sustainable over the long term. Getting a youngster like Tobias Myers to step up like he did Tuesday (April 23) was huge, and prospect Robert Gasser probably isn't far off making his MLB debut as well. In the meantime, just getting regular starts from Freddy Peralta, Joe Ross and Colin Rea is going to be huge.

Patty Masten: How long do you think before Rhys (Hoskins) plays first base every day? Is the knee still an issue?

Todd Rosiak: Truth be told, I don't think Hoskins playing first base every day is in the plans. Not with the way Jake Bauers has performed defensively over there. The Brewers place a ton of value on their players being able to field their position well, and even though Bauers hasn't hit much he has already saved his infielders several errors with his deft glove work picking short-hopped throws. That said, Hoskins remains a key part of the team and is going to see more than his fair share of playing time with a combination of starts at designated hitter and first base. By all accounts his surgically repaired knee is holding up just fine. Hoskins also deserves a hat tip for the veteran presence he brings to the clubhouse. A true professional in every sense of the word.

Terry W.: We've got Peralta on a team-friendly deal for two more years and control (William) Contreras for at least four. Wouldn’t it make sense to try to sign these guys long term while it is still somewhat affordable? Seems a cinch they would be gone if they ever hit the open market, so why not be proactive and get these two cornerstones signed?

Todd Rosiak: Indeed, the Brewers hold team options on Peralta for the bargain rates of $8 million for both 2025 and 2026 with modest available incentives for certain awards/achievements. And Contreras becomes arbitration-eligible in 2025 but won't hit free agency until 2028. I would assume the Brewers have interest in keeping both around as long as possible. I haven't asked Peralta this season but did bring it up to Contreras this past weekend in St. Louis about the topic. He said there haven't been any discussions to this point and when asked if he would be interested if the Brewers did he said, "I'm not interested in that. I'm here playing my game, and I know my time is going to come." If I had to read between the lines, that means Milwaukee is going to have to offer the bag in order to lock the 26-year-old backstop for the long term. Peralta will be closing in on 30 once his second option is exercised, so there won't be another bargain deal for the Brewers this time around. It'll be Peralta's best (and perhaps last) chance for a huge payday.

Dan: Biggest change I see in the Brewers 20 games in is their production with runners in scoring position. Last year it was painful to watch how many times they could not get the big hit. This year they are getting the job done. My worry is how long can this last? Am I just living in a dream world thinking this will continue?

Todd Rosiak: Although the offense has cooled considerably, it's still been a productive unit overall. Through 22 games the Brewers led the majors in batting with runners in scoring position with a .332 average (they were eighth at .269 in 2023) and ranked second in batting with runners in scoring position and two outs (.300). Their .912 OPS also ranked second (eighth at .789 in 2023). I love the diversity of talent and skill sets as well as the ability for manager Pat Murphy to go lefty-righty from spots 1-9 on any given day. There's also a nice mix of veterans as well as talented youngsters who have, so far, been able to deliver in big spots. Getting Christian Yelich healthy and back into the lineup will help that much more. Hitting .332 with runners in scoring position for the season isn't realistic (the Baltimore Orioles led the majors at .287 in 2023) but there's reason to believe Milwaukee can continue to be clutch – especially with a renewed emphasis on making contact (.338 on-base percentage ranks fourth) and willingness to bunt on occasion.

Leo: What is the timeline on return of Garrett Mitchell? (Joey) Wiemer can cover a lot of area but his bat is lacking. Yelich was having a very good year but we are not a month into the season and he is on the IL. With different players going into slumps during the year, having your best bats is vital. Want to tip my hat to Pat Murphy on his job as manager. No calculators needed like the last guy.

Todd Rosiak: Mitchell is eligible to come off the 60-day IL on May 24, so there's a ways to go yet. He's still in his protective brace and as of this past weekend was awaiting word on the results of his latest X-ray. Whenever he's able to return, Mitchell will give the Brewers another talented young outfielder who, as you noted, is further ahead at the plate than Wiemer (although his strikeouts still need to be tempered). Getting Yelich right and back is the biggest goal right now. As for Murphy, he definitely deserves kudos for successfully navigating this early stretch considering all the injuries. I've loved the aggressiveness he's shown offensively, especially taking advantage of the speed he has at his disposal. And on a personal note, Murphy has been great to deal with on a daily basis. He's open, speaks his mind and also willing to note when his players come up short in certain areas or at certain times.

John in CA: What adjustments has (Brice) Turang made, and what awards do you see him picking up at season's end?

Todd Rosiak: Turang has indeed been one of the more pleasant surprises to start the season for the Brewers. He's bigger and stronger, which should help him endure the rigors of a full season, and he's doing a much better job of making contact (his whiff, chase and strikeout rates are all 75th percentile or higher) and slapping the ball the other way, which helps him to get on base and utilize his speed (entered Wednesday tied with Elly De La Cruz for the MLB lead in stolen bases with 12, and without being caught once). Is his .319 average sustainable? I guess we'll see. Defensively, he remains solid and no question has the stuff to eventually become a Rawlings Gold Glove finalist – or winner – at second base.

Nadia Pulaski: Which young pitchers might be called up soon for some starts if the injuries keep depleting our starting core? Who is being most consistent in the minors? Would they bring in a free agent or even do a trade for starting pitching well before the deadline?

Todd Rosiak: We already saw Myers do a terrific job in his debut on Tuesday, so one would think he sticks there for the time being. Gasser, meanwhile, was scheduled to make his season debut at Class AAA Nashville on Wednesday so if he comes out of that OK it wouldn't be surprising to see him up with the Brewers for his next turn. Aaron Ashby took a step forward in his last start at Nashville but his numbers (9.28 ERA, 2.16 WHIP) suggest he won't be the answer anytime soon. Likewise, right-handed prospect Carlos Rodríguez is off to a rough start at Nashville (0-4, 8.34, 1.72). You can bet the front office is scouring any available starting pitching on the market. But even if another team would be willing to part with some, it would likely come at a high cost.

Raymond Apple: How long do we wait for Bauers and Gary Sánchez to get on track with their hitting? I do realize Bauers' defense increases his worth, but in the case of Sánchez, he is known for suspect defense. Does Sánchez's contract guarantee he sticks for the whole year? With (Eric) Haase in AAA, at what point would the Brewers DFA Sánchez? At this salary, I am thinking he would not get claimed.

Todd Rosiak: The Brewers really like the varied skill set Bauers brings to the table, i.e. ability to play first base and the outfield, left-handed power bat. He's a keeper in their eyes. As for Sánchez, the team is confident his track record over the long term suggests he'll be an impact offensive player before all is said and done. He's guaranteed a $3 million base salary with incentives for availability that could bump it all the way to $7 million if he's on the roster for 150 or more days (including IL stints for fractures or torn ligaments anywhere other than his right wrist). Milwaukee could cut ties with Sánchez as late as another month or so and be on the hook for only the $3 million, but I don't see that happening unless he's absolutely underwater offensively.

Leisa: I went to two of the games against the Padres. In both games, the scoreboard no longer had trivia the second time players came to bat. Is the trivia no longer allowed? It was a great way to learn about each player.

Todd Rosiak: I hadn't even noticed that. And you're right, those tidbits were interesting (and sometimes funny). I'll see if I can find out why that's changed this season. I'll tweet out the explanation if I can get one, so be sure to follow my feed (@Todd_Rosiak).

Uncle Dan: If Tyler Black continues to hit over .900 OPS, when does he force his way into the majors? And when he does, how does he fit? Who loses ABs?

Todd Rosiak: Indeed, Black has been raking at Nashville. On that alone, he would probably already be up with the Brewers were it not for the fact he's a poor defensive fit. Meaning, he's played almost exclusively at first base for the Sounds, a position that is locked up by Hoskins and Bauers at the moment. Black has logged just one game at third base to this point, with his other playing time coming at DH. Oliver Dunn is also a left-handed-hitting third baseman, but he's played pretty well overall. And now that Andruw Monasterio has been demoted, the Brewers need Joey Ortiz's ability to play shortstop as he's the backup to Willy Adames there. I just don't see an obvious fit for Black at the moment.

John McQuillan: Would or should the Brewers consider Trevor Bauer for their starting rotation?

Todd Rosiak: No. And no.

Steven C.: Time yet to give up on Joey Wiemer?

Todd Rosiak: Not at all. I get the frustration with regard to his play, but consider both last season and this season he was called into duty in the majors when he wasn't necessarily ready. In my humble opinion, Wiemer needed 4-6 weeks at minimum of solid at-bats at Nashville so as to be able to further hone his revamped setup at the plate. But once again injury issues at the major-league level necessitated his callup. And now, he's relegated to a bench role which makes production as a pinch-hitter later in games that much more difficult. Wiemer is very talented physically. Give him more time to develop, then see what happens. At the very least perhaps he can be a trade piece; a team seeking affordable outfield depth could certainly do worse.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee Brewers mailbag: The bullpen, starting pitching and Gary Sánchez