Brewers call up recent trade acquisition for MLB debut as lefty reliever lands on IL

Just weeks before Spring Training kicked off this year, the Milwaukee Brewers' front office pulled off a six-player trade with the Boston Red Sox that took the fanbase by surprise. The Brewers sent three infielders -- 2025 Rookie of the Year finalist Caleb Durbin, Andruw Monasterio, and Anthony Seigler -- to the Red Sox in exchange for left-handed pitchers Kyle Harrison and Shane Drohan, and utility infielder David Hamilton.

Though Brewers fans were shocked that the organization was willing to part with Durbin on the heels of his breakout rookie season, early returns from the trade have strongly favored Milwaukee. Durbin has struggled mightily out of the gates with his new team, collecting just two hits in his first 28 at-bats in Boston, resulting in a brutal .071 batting average as the calendar reads April 6. Meanwhile, Harrison is impressing in the Brewers rotation. The southpaw has made two starts for the Brew Crew, covered 10.1 total innings, surrendered just two earned runs, and collected 14 strikeouts, which ties CC Sabathia the most by a left-hander in his first two games with the Brewers.

Add to the equation the fact that Hamilton seemingly fits in perfectly with Milwaukee's scrappy offensive approach and Monasterio is sporting a .143 batting average while Seigler finds himself on the 10-day IL and the trade looks even better for the Brewers in the early goings of the 2026 season.

Now, after the Brewers' most recent roster move, the trade could start to look even more lopsided in Milwaukee's favor. As announced by the team just moments ago, Drohan has been promoted to the big-league roster for what will be his MLB debut. Ironically, the move comes just hours before the Brewers and Red Sox will square off in a three-game set at Fenway Park, which could add even more insult to injury for the Boston faithful.

Left-hander Jared Koenig lands on IL with elbow sprain, Shane Drohan promoted from Triple-A for his MLB debut

Drohan's debut serves as the silver lining of what is otherwise a pretty concerning update for the Brewers' pitching staff. The open roster spot that Drohan is filling is a result of left-handed reliever Jared Koenig landing on the injured list with a scary injury for any pitcher: an elbow sprain. Brewers' beat reporter Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel added some further context to the situation that paints an even bleaker picture for the high-leverage southpaw.

The UCL (Ulnar Collateral Ligament) is the ligament that, when fully torn, results in Tommy John surgery. The fact that Koenig's UCL is not fully torn is the good news, and his decision to elect to try and rehab the injury means that, in the best-case scenario, he could be back pitching in the Brewers' bullpen in the not-so-distant future. However, seeking a "second opinion" rarely results in encouraging news, and any injury related to the UCL should always be treated with the utmost caution.

It's no doubt a scary situation for one of Pat Murphy's most reliable bullpen arms from the past two seasons. Koenig made 127 total appearances in 2024 and 2025, covering an average of 64 innings per season that will be difficult to replace should his elbow sprain end up being a long-term issue. In 2.1 innings across three outings to start the 2026 season, Koenig has yet to give up an earned run and has four strikeouts during that span.

Meanwhile, Drohan, who was in the running for a big-league rotation spot during the spring exhibition season, finally gets his shot at the major leagues after a lengthy minor-league career that was complicated by injuries. After posting a 3.00 ERA in 14 starts with the Red Sox' Triple-A squad last year, Drohan surrendered two earned runs in 3.1 innings of work during his first start with the Brewers' Triple-A club last week.