The Milwaukee Brewers are headed back to the Midwest, as they’ll take on the Tigers in Detroit for three games beginning Tuesday evening. The Crew, fresh off a four-game win streak that was snapped Sunday in Miami, will look to get back to their winning ways. They sit at 12-9 on the season but tied at the bottom of a deep NL Central, with all five teams separated by just 1.5 games.
The Tigers, at 12-10 entering Monday’s series finale against the Red Sox, started off ice cold but have bounced back nicely the last week-plus, rattling off six straight wins against the Marlins and Royals before starting the Boston series with a loss but winning on both Saturday and Sunday.
Milwaukee’s injured list features some prominent players, including outfielders Jackson Chourio and Christian Yelich, as well as first baseman Andrew Vaughn. Chourio and Vaughn are both expected to return in May, with Yelich likely out until later in the month. Starter Quinn Priester and relievers Jared Koenig, Rob Zastryzny, and Craig Yoho are also shelved. Priester is looking to return in May as he’s likely to ramp up on a rehab assignment this week, while Yoho and Zastryzny could be back soon. Koenig’s injury is likely the biggest concern, as he is dealing with a UCL sprain that, even if it does heal without surgery, will keep him out until mid-May at the earliest.
The Tigers also find themselves without several well-known names. Right-hander Reese Olson is out for the season after undergoing shoulder surgery in February, and Jackson Jobe is out until midseason after getting Tommy John surgery last summer. Veteran righty Justin Verlander is out until late April with hip inflammation, and relievers Troy Melton, Bailey Horn, and Beau Brieske are also out. Utility infielder Zach McKinstry just went on the injured list over the weekend, outfielder Parker Meadows is out until at least midseason after an outfield collision that resulted in a concussion, five stitches, and an arm fracture, and shortstop Trey Sweeney is out indefinitely with a shoulder strain.
The Brewer offense is led by Brice Turang and William Contreras, both of whom are hitting .300 early in the season. Turang has four homers, five doubles, 14 RBIs, 19 runs, and six steals, while Contreras adds two homers, six doubles, 11 RBIs, and 10 runs. Garrett Mitchell, Jake Bauers, Brandon Lockridge, and Gary Sánchez have also gotten out to solid starts, but that’s about it for Milwaukee’s offense; Sal Frelick, Luis Rengifo, David Hamilton, Luis Matos, Joey Ortiz, and Blake Perkins have all struggled in the early going. Greg Jones is the last piece of the puzzle, but with recent news of Tyler Black being activated from the IL at Triple-A Nashville, I would expect he won’t be in a Brewer uniform much longer. As a team, the Brewers are hitting .232/.339/.366 (.705 OPS ranks 14th), with 19 homers, 106 runs, and 33 steals.
Dillon Dingler leads the Tiger offense with five homers this season, as he’s hitting .302/.380/.603 with 18 RBIs and 10 runs over 19 games. Rookie Kevin McGonigle leads the team with 24 hits, as he’s slashing .312/.411/.481 through 21 games. Riley Greene, Kerry Carpenter, Spencer Torkelson, Javier Báez, Colt Keith, and Gleyber Torres round out the regulars. Depth pieces for Detroit include Jake Rogers, Hao-Yu Lee, Jahmai Jones, Matt Vierling, and Wenceel Pérez. As a team, the Tigers are hitting .243/.324/.380 (.704 OPS ranks 15th), with 17 homers, 94 runs, and seven steals.
Milwaukee’s bullpen is anchored by Grant Anderson, Aaron Ashby, DL Hall, Abner Uribe, Angel Zerpa, and Trevor Megill. All but Megill have at least 10 appearances this season, with Ashby and Anderson leading the way with 11 appearances each. Ashby also has a team-best five wins, with 22 strikeouts over 14 innings and a 3.21 ERA. Anderson’s 3.18 ERA and Hall’s 2.79 ERA lead the bullpen, while Uribe, Zerpa, and Megill have all had their share of slip-ups thus far. Jake Woodford and Carlos Rodriguez round out the Brewer bullpen. As a staff, the Brewers have a 3.85 team ERA (11th), including a 3.67 starter ERA (11th) and a 4.07 bullpen ERA (16th). They’ve struck out 189 batters (15th) over 187 innings.
Kyle Finnegan leads the Detroit bullpen with 10 appearances this season, as he’s allowed no runs and struck out four over 10 innings. Will Vest also has 10 appearances, though he’s struggled to a 5.00 ERA (six runs allowed, five earned) over nine innings, striking out 11. Tyler Holton has given up just one run in 9 1/3 innings, and Kenley Jansen remains one of the better closers in the league, with one run allowed and five saves in six opportunities across 5 2/3 innings. Connor Seabold and Brant Hurter have also been solid in limited appearances, with Enmanuel De Jesus and Drew Anderson rounding things out. As a staff, the Tigers have a 3.27 team ERA (fourth), including a 3.29 starter ERA (seventh) and a 3.24 bullpen ERA (seventh). They’ve struck out 176 batters (22nd) over 189 2/3 innings.
Tuesday, April 21 @ 5:40 p.m.: LHP Kyle Harrison (1-1, 3.07 ERA, 4.08 FIP) vs. RHP Keider Montero (1-1, 3.31 ERA, 1.66 FIP)
Harrison, who skipped his last start due to a lingering issue from a fall he took in his last outing, last appeared on Saturday, April 11 against the Nationals. He went 4 1/3 innings in that one, allowing two runs and striking out one as he took the loss for the first time this season. He’ll look to bounce back against Detroit. His only appearance against the Tigers came last September while with the Red Sox, when he went just three innings and allowed three runs on seven hits and three walks, striking out six in a game Boston ultimately came back to win.
Montero, 25, is in his third MLB season, all with the Tigers. Through three starts, he’s put up the best numbers of his career, with a 3.31 ERA and 1.66 FIP over 16 1/3 innings. He’s struck out 15 and allowed seven runs (six earned) on 12 hits and two walks, notably allowing no homers (which means he’s due — he allowed 1.6 HR/9 over his first two seasons). Montero’s last start was his worst on the young season, as he allowed four runs and struck out five over six innings against the Royals. He made a start against Milwaukee last season, taking the loss as he went five innings, allowing five runs on eight hits and a walk but striking out eight.
Wednesday, April 22 @ 5:40 p.m.: RHP Chad Patrick (1-0, 0.95 ERA, 3.97 FIP) vs. RHP Casey Mize (1-1, 2.78 ERA, 3.13 FIP)
Patrick, who continues to work his magic as his ERA outpaces his FIP by more than three runs, has had a great start to the year. Through 19 innings over four appearances, he’s allowed just two earned runs, striking out nine as he’s managed to scatter 15 hits and seven walks. His last appearance came on Wednesday against the Blue Jays, when he went a season-high 6 2/3 innings, allowing one run on three hits and a pair of walks, striking out two. This marks his first career appearance against Detroit.
Mize, the No. 1 overall pick back in 2018, struggled to begin his career but turned in his best season yet last year, with a 3.87 ERA, 3.89 FIP, and 139 strikeouts over 149 innings as he earned his first All-Star selection. Through four starts this season, he has a 2.78 ERA, 3.13 FIP, and 25 strikeouts over 22 2/3 innings. His last appearance came Friday against the Red Sox, when he went 6 2/3 scoreless with seven strikeouts. Mize’s only appearance against Milwaukee came in June 2024, when he took the loss after giving up five runs (three earned) on eight hits and a pair of walks over 5 1/3 innings. He struck out just one batter in that one.
Thursday, April 23 @ 12:10 p.m.: RHP Brandon Sproat (0-1, 6.88 ERA, 6.25 FIP) vs. LHP Tarik Skubal (3-2, 2.08 ERA, 2.07 FIP)
Sproat, who got out to a dismal start as his ERA sat at 14.85 through two appearances, has bounced back nicely in his last two outings. He first went 3 2/3 innings in relief against the Nationals (in that same game started by Harrison), allowing one run on four hits and three walks, striking out three. He then turned his best appearance as a Brewer thus far, allowing one run on four hits and a walk, striking out six against the Blue Jays on Thursday. Still looking for his first career win, he’ll look to do so against the Tigers in his first career appearance against them this week.
Skubal, 29, has rapidly become one of the best pitchers in baseball over the last couple of seasons. The two-time reigning AL Cy Young winner has made five starts this season, with a 2.08 ERA, 2.07 FIP, and 33 strikeouts in 30 1/3 innings. He’s won each of his last two starts against the Marlins and Red Sox, combining for 12 2/3 innings with two runs allowed and 17 strikeouts. Skubal has made two starts against Milwaukee, one in each of his Cy Young seasons. He’s picked up the wins both times, combining to go 13 2/3 innings with just one run allowed on nine hits and two walks, striking out 19.
Tuesday, April 21: Brewers TV; listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ in Milwaukee)
Wednesday, April 22: Brewers TV; listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ in Milwaukee)
Thursday, April 23: Brewers TV; listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ in Milwaukee)
This is a tough matchup, as the Tigers are hot and they have the advantage in just about every facet. I’ll take Detroit to send Milwaukee home with a 2-1 series loss.