Yankees Trade Prize Nearing MLB Return Creates Issue For Brewers

The Milwaukee Brewers are facing a roster issue following the All-Star break.

Milwaukee probably didn’t want the break to arrive at all. The Brewers have won seven games in a row and are just one game back of the Chicago Cubs in the National League Central division.

Milwaukee is looking like a team without many flaws of late, especially now that its starting rotation — most importantly, Brandon Woodruff — is healthy again. The final step in that vein will be the return of former New York Yankees left-hander Nestor Cortes, who recently completed a second rehab outing. Sidelined since early in the season with a left elbow flexor tendon strain, Cortes has been on the 60-day injured list. However, he’s showing signs of recovery, recently delivering four shutout innings (54 pitches) for the High-A Wisconsin Timber Rattlers.

Cortes is expected to make one or two more rehab starts after the All-Star break to further build up his arm strength and velocity, but then he’s expected to be ready for an MLB return. And while this would normally be nothing but good news for the Brewers, Cortes’ return might create an uncomfortable logjam in the rotation, as noted on Sunday by FanSided’s Tremayne Person.

“Once Cortes is activated, Milwaukee could be looking at a legitimate rotation surplus,” Person wrote.

“Freddy Peralta, Brandon Woodruff, and rookie phenom Jacob Misiorowski are all locked in. Jose Quintana has quietly stabilized the back end of the rotation, while Quinn Priester has more than held his own in Cortes’ absence, posting a 3.55 ERA across 17 appearances. That leaves Priester as the likely odd man out — not because of performance, but due to roster flexibility.”

Is Person on to something here? It does appear that the Brewers will have six starters for five available spots once Cortes returns. It’ll be fascinating to see how reigning NL Manager of the Year, Pat Murphy, decides to handle the situation.