Brewers' cautious approach with rotation option teases big-league role in near future

When Spring Training came to a close, the Milwaukee Brewers had to make some tough decisions on their roster, especially when it came to which five starting pitchers would make up their rotation at the beginning of the season. They ended up going with Jacob Misiorowski, Chad Patrick, Brandon Sproat, Kyle Harrison, and Brandon Woodruff to start the 2026 campaign.

With Quinn Priester on the mend and beginning the year on the injured list, these elections pushed Robert Gasser out of the initial rotation, despite a strong finish to Cactus League play. Logan Henderson, who dealt with a re-occurrence of elbow issues during camp, also was pushed to the minor leagues to begin the season, though he made his first appearance with the big-league club as the extra "27th man" during yesterday's doubleheader.

Both Gasser and Henderson impressed during their 2026 debuts for the Triple-A Nashville Sounds. Gasser accumulated 11 strikeouts on their Opening Day, while Henderson punched out five batters during a three-inning relief outing, generating 14 whiffs over 45 pitches in the process.

Interestingly, though Henderson took the mound for the Brewers yesterday, Gasser hasn't pitched since his Opening Day start. Adam McCalvy, MLB.com's Brewers beat reporter, offered some context, noting the organization is opting to manage workload early on with its MLB-ready arms, which resulted in Gasser skipping a turn through the rotation.

Brewers careful approach with Robert Gasser's workload proves organization views him as a key piece of 2026 pitching staff

After Saturday's doubleheader against the Kansas City Royals, the Brewers have essentially completed one and a half rotations through their starting rotation, with Misiorowski, Patrick, and Sproat all making two starts thus far. Of the group, Sproat is the only one who has struggled out of the gates, giving up seven earned runs and three homers over three innings in his first start, and four earned runs in four innings yesterday afternoon.

Although it’s only been two outings, it puts Sproat under early pressure. His shaky debut raised several red flags, most notably command issues, as he walked four batters and left too many hittable pitches over the plate. Yesterday was much of the same with just 39 of his 70 pitches landing for strikes. The Brewers will undoubtedly give Sproat plenty more chances to prove himself over the next few weeks, especially given the fact that while his command struggles, the movement on his five-pitch arsenal remains strong. However, should his struggles persist over an extended period of time, or if the Brewers unfortunately suffer an injury to their starting rotation, expect Gasser's name to be called upon.

All things considered, Gasser’s dominant work on the mound paired with his carefully managed workload suggests the team is taking a deliberate approach with the intention of integrating him into their plans in the near future. The challenge will be striking the right balance of keeping him sharp and polished while ensuring he’s ready to step in when the opportunity arises.