Milwaukee Brewers

Brewers’ Brandon Woodruff to start 2nd straight opener

Published by admin on Fri, 03/19/2021 - 11:56am

Brandon Woodruff is stopping the Milwaukee Brewers’ revolving door of opening-day starting pitchers.

Milwaukee manager Craig Counsell said March 18 that Woodruff will start the Brewers’ season opener for a second straight year. He will be facing Kenta Maeda when the Brewers host the Minnesota Twins on April 1.

“Any time you can go out, get the ball for the first game and try and set the tone for the year, it’s a huge honor and something I don’t take lightly,” Woodruff said from the Brewers’ spring training site in Phoenix.

Brewers will need hitting resurgence to return to playoffs

Published by admin on Wed, 03/17/2021 - 1:04pm

The Milwaukee Brewers understand a repeat of last year’s performance won’t earn them a fourth straight playoff berth.

Milwaukee went 29-31 last year and never was above .500 throughout the pandemic-shortened season but reached the postseason thanks to Major League Baseball’s expanded 16-team playoff format. MLB since has returned to its typical 10-team playoff system.

The Brewers aren’t making any apologies for last year but know they can’t afford to finish below .500 again.

Travis Shaw back with Brewers, competes for spot at 3B

Published by admin on Wed, 03/17/2021 - 1:00pm

Travis Shaw’s second stint with the Milwaukee Brewers is off to an encouraging start.

The Brewers announced March 16 they have added Shaw to their 40-man roster, making him one of the leading candidates for playing time at third base.

Shaw, who played for Milwaukee from 2017-19 and spent last season with Toronto, signed a minor league deal last month. The contract included terms stating he could request his release if the Brewers didn’t notify him by March 15 whether they intended to put him on the 40-man roster.

Braun leaning toward retirement as he ponders his future

Published by admin on Tue, 03/16/2021 - 10:06am

Ryan Braun says he’s strongly leaning toward retirement, but the Milwaukee Brewers’ home-run leader isn’t ready to make any decision regarding his future.

Braun visited the Brewers’ spring training site Monday and said he hasn’t picked up a bat since the end of the 2020 season. The 2011 NL MVP became a free agent when the Brewers declined to exercise a $15 million mutual option in his contract last October.

Brewers relying on offseason fielding upgrades to pay off

Published by admin on Thu, 03/11/2021 - 10:51am

Whether they did it by design or responded to the market forces at work, the Milwaukee Brewers found an intriguing way to try gaining an edge over their NL Central rivals.

Rather than focusing on an offense that slumbered for much of last season, they added position players better known for fielding prowess. By signing former St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Kolten Wong and ex-Boston Red Sox center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr., the Brewers have four former Gold Glove winners on their roster.

Brewers officially add Bradley to roster

Published by admin on Tue, 03/09/2021 - 10:42am

On the day the Milwaukee Brewers announced the signing of former Gold Glove centerfielder Jackie Bradley Jr., their need for more outfield depth became a bit more apparent.

Lorenzo Cain acknowledged March 8 that he’s dealing with a quadriceps issue that has slowed his progress this spring training, potentially complicating his status for the start of the season. Cain had opted out of the 2020 season after playing just five games.

Brewers’ Williams optimistic about his shoulder recovery

Published by admin on Sun, 03/07/2021 - 6:22pm

Milwaukee Brewers reliever Devin Williams says the shoulder soreness that kept the 2020 NL Rookie of the Year from pitching in the playoffs shouldn’t impact his readiness for the start of the season.

Williams also doesn’t expect it to hamper his comfort level in throwing the changeup that became one of baseball’s most unhittable pitches last season.

“I’ve been throwing my changeup for a month and a half, two months now,” Williams said March 5 from the Brewers’ spring-training site in Phoenix. “So it’s in a good spot. I’m not worried about it.”

Brewers’ Urías, Lauer seek to rebound from tough 2020 season

Published by admin on Wed, 03/03/2021 - 4:08pm

The Milwaukee Brewers’ big trade from the fall of 2019 certainly didn’t work out in the short term.

They’re still hopeful it will help them over the long run.

The Brewers acquired infielder Luis Urías and left-handed pitcher Eric Lauer from San Diego in a November 2019 trade that sent outfielder Trent Grisham and pitcher Zach Davies to the Padres. Urías and Lauer struggled in 2020 while Grisham and Davies flourished.

But a new season represents a fresh start for both Urías and Lauer.

Brewers’ Yelich eager for fresh start after 2020 struggles

Published by admin on Mon, 03/01/2021 - 9:49am

Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich has never believed the results of one season have any carryover effect into the next year.

He didn’t think that when he was coming off an MVP season in 2018 or a second straight batting title in 2019. Nor does he feel that way that now as he tries bouncing back from the most disappointing season of his career.

Cain has no regrets about opting out last season

Published by admin on Thu, 02/25/2021 - 8:02am

Milwaukee Brewers center fielder Lorenzo Cain has no regrets about opting out of nearly the entire 2020 season but realizes his long layoff could create some obstacles now that he’s back.

“Definitely the right choice, 100% it was the right choice,” the 2018 All-Star and 2019 Gold Glove winner said Feb. 24 from the Brewers’ spring training site in Phoenix. “No doubt in my mind. I would do it again in a heartbeat.”