Insider Sheds Light On Brewers Stunning Roster Decision

The Milwaukee Brewers' starting rotation has been ravaged by injuries this season and therefore some guys who have gotten opportunities that weren't initially expected to.

One guy who has gotten a big opportunity is young hurler Logan Henderson and he has absolutely made the most of it. Henderson has made four starts and has logged a 1.71 ERA while striking out 29 batters in 21 innings pitched. Over this stretch, he has walked just six batters.

Milwaukee made the difficult decision to option him down to the minors on Monday, though, to make room on the roster for fellow hurler DL Hall. So, why did the Brewers make this decision? MLB.com's Adam McCalvy shared the reasoning behind the move.

"Here’s why: No 1. Bullpen need," McCalvy said. "Hall’s return to the bullpen after rehabbing a lat injury came days after the Brewers reinstated fellow lefty Aaron Ashby from an oblique strain. Both joined the active roster as high-leverage long relievers, a growing role across MLB as starters’ workloads shrink. For the Brewers, bullpen length is critical as setup men Nick Mears and Jared Koenig are showing signs of bowing under heavy usage. And with an off-day on the schedule Thursday, the team didn’t need a fifth starter this week...

"No. 2. Starting depth. The Brewers have employed 11 starting pitchers this season after matching the franchise record with 17 starters last season. It’s foolish, Murphy said, to not plan for more injuries as the summer wears on, so they are stockpiling starters...No. 3. Henderson’s future. A fourth-round Draft pick in 2021, Henderson missed much of ‘22 with a fractured elbow and topped out at 81 1/3 innings last season, when he climbed as high as the Triple-A level. This year, he’s already logged 51 innings between Triple-A and the Majors, and managing that workload for the remainder of the season is a priority."