Brewers DFA southpaw Rob Zastryzny after frustrating, injury-riddled season

After promising performances with the Milwaukee Brewers in both the 2024 and 2025 campaigns, southpaw Rob Zastryzny was expected to be an effective, albeit underrated piece of the bullpen puzzle during the 2026 season. Unfortunately, Zastryzny battled injuries throughout the campaign, never made an appearance with the big-league club, and has now been designated for assignment.

Zastryzny first joined the Brewers on a minor league contract in December of 2023 and six months later was pitching for the big-league club. "Rob Z," as manager Pat Murphy calls him, made nine appearances over the next month and posted an excellent 1.17 ERA. Unfortunately, just as Zastryzny was settling into his role in Milwaukee's 'pen, the southpaw landed on the IL with left elbow tendinitis, which forced him to miss the remainder of the 2024 season.

During the 2024-25 offseason, Zastryzny was DFA'd by the Brewers, claimed by the Chicago Cubs, DFA'd by the Cubs, and signed by the New York Yankees all before February 17. The left-hander began the season with the New York Yankees' Triple-A squad, but on May 16, the Brewers traded cash considerations to the Yankees for Zastryzny, creating something of a reunion in Milwaukee.

Once again, Zastryzny was excellent for about a month before landing on the IL, this time with stress reaction in his ribs. He resided on the IL through July and August before returning to the Brewers' bullpen for the final month of the season. All in all, Rob Z turned in a 2.45 ERA in 26 appearances (a new career high), in what was his best season in the big leagues. He showed a particular effectiveness against left-handed hitters, who posted just a .196 batting average against him.

Though Zastryzny missed out on the Brewers' postseason roster last year, his stellar 2025 campaign offered encouragement that he could be a significant contributor during the 2026 season. However, a frustrating string of injuries kept Zastryzny away from a big-league mound for the entire season, and on Thursday morning, the Brewers made the decision to designate the southpaw for assignment.

Rob Zastryzny's lost season is an overlooked hurdle Brewers, Pat Murphy had to overcome in 2026

Zastryzny's frustrating string of injuries began back in March while he was playing for Team Canada in the World Baseball Classic. The 34-year-old reliever suffered a shoulder strain that kept him away from the big leagues for the first month and a half of the season. Then, while on a rehab assignment in Triple-A, Zastryzny suffered an intercostal muscle strain that further delayed his return.

In late May, Zastryzny was added to the big-league roster, ready to make his 2026 debut, but before he could get into a game, he went down with a left trapezius (trap muscle) strain, which kept him on the IL until this morning, when he was technically lifted from his current rehab assignment before being DFA'd.

It's been an incredibly frustrating season for Zastryzny, especially after the promise he showed with the Brewers in 2025. He was technically under team control for another three years, but with his age-35 season and arbitration eligibility approaching in 2027, there was no guarantee that the Brewers were going to tender the southpaw a contract this offseason.

Meanwhile, Zastryzny's lost season falls under the category of overlooked injuries that the Brewers have had to deal with in 2026. Add to that list Jared Koenig's disappointing campaign and season-ending injuries for Angel Zerpa and Brian Fitzpatrick, and the fact that Milwaukee has one of the strongest bullpens in baseball with the postseason approaching is all the more impressive. It's a testament to the depth that Matt Arnold and the Brewers' front office were able to build during the offseason.

For Zastryzny, the main hope is that he can remain healthy and find the right opportunity at the tail-end of his career. It's certainly possible that said opportunity is in Milwaukee, where he's found his most success, but for that to happen he will first need to clear waivers.

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