The Milwaukee Brewers might be preparing to use Jacob Misiorowski in an unexpected way.
As the trade deadline approaches, Milwaukee has mostly been linked to third basemen and bullpen targets. Contenders are normally interested in reinforcing their bullpen muscle around this time of year, and the Brewers are probably no different in that regard.
Meanwhile, Milwaukee might be looking inside its own clubhouse as it imagines how to make the ‘pen more dynamic. During a new episode of the Foul Territory podcast, former MLB pitcher Trevor May was asked whether or not the Brewers would experiment with Misiorowski in bullpen situations during the playoffs.
“It's well within the realm of possibility,” May said.
“I could see him functioning like last year's (New York) Mets version of David Peterson coming in (when) someone gets knocked around for two or three innings … And they're also trying to limit his pitch count … because he hasn't thrown that much … everyone's always worried about the arm flying off at an opportune time … you just want to make sure you’re taking care of guys as much you can.”
Misiorowski’s absurd velocity combined with his youth (23) makes for a recipe that is both stunning and concerning. As May alluded to, there are likely members of Milwaukee’s staff who are concerned about overexerting Misiorowski and compromising not only his postseason availability but his long-term health.
Shifting Misiorowski into a bullpen role would keep him available for the playoffs while limiting his innings. It’s a clever idea, but one that the Brewers aren’t likely to dive fully behind just yet. The overwhelming expectation is that Misiorowski will keep his spot in the rotation for the rest of the season and into the postseason.
A minor injury or excessive fatigue could quickly change the above, however, leading to the manifestation of the type of role that May discussed.
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