Brewers' Kyle Harrison not worried about velocity trend since returning from IL

Through Kyle Harrison’s first 11 starts with the Milwaukee Brewers, everything appeared to be clicking. The 25-year-old, who landed in Milwaukee after being traded for the second time in his young career, set a new career high with 12 strikeouts in just his fifth start. He was also showing improved velocity, a higher arm angle, and a willingness to attack hitters -- all of which was translating into significantly better results on the mound.

During that stretch, Harrison posted a remarkable 1.57 ERA. He also proved to be the perfect pitcher to follow Jacob Misiorowski, as the two throw from opposite sides but shared a similar profile of being aggressive in the zone while generating plenty of whiffs.

Those changes, coupled with the results he was producing on the mound, led many to believe the Brewers had figured out how to fix him in a remarkably short time. However, Harrison then ran into some trouble over his next six outings, some of which appeared to be due to fatigue that ultimately landed the southpaw on the injured list.

Then, following his July 8 start, his 17th of the season, Harrison was officially placed on the injured list with a flexor strain. Since returning, inconsistency in several areas has become an issue worth monitoring, but Harrison himself doesn't sound too concerned about the changes.

Kyle Harrison's fluctuating velocity is grabbing headlines, but he isn't worried

Since being activated from the injured list on August 5, Harrison has made three starts. He looked sharp and much like his old self in his first outing back, striking out 10 Pittsburgh Pirates over just five innings, including the final eight batters he faced. However, he was forced to leave the game early due to calf cramps.

Disaster then struck on the West Coast against the San Diego Padres. Harrison was initially charged with eight earned runs, but after Jihwan Bae was credited with an error, that total was reduced to three. The bigger concern, however, was what happened with his stuff. Harrison’s velocity was down throughout the outing, and he generated just seven swings and misses, including only two on his fastball.

Most recently, against the Seattle Mariners, Harrison managed to get the results he was looking for, tossing five innings of two-hit ball with eight strikeouts. However, his velocity remained inconsistent, averaging 93.5 mph, which was 1.5 mph below his season average. He also generated just 10 swings and misses, but his slurve was particularly effective, accounting for four of his strikeouts and repeatedly leaving Mariners guessing at the plate.

Following that most recent outing, Jack Stern of Brewer Fanatic pointed to Harrison’s declining velocity and fastball decisiveness to a corresponding dip in his arm slot. According to Stern, Harrison’s release point has been nearly six inches lower than it was before his injury. Harrison acknowledged that maintaining arm slot can become more difficult as a season progresses, raising some concerns about fatigue as he is just 20 innings away from surpassing his career high innings pitched.

Ultimately, while the dip in velocity and arm slot is worth monitoring, Harrison does not appear overly concerned about the issue (as seen in the video below) and he has already shown that he can be effective without sitting at his peak velocity, and his recent start against Seattle is a good example of that.

That said, the goal should be getting Harrison’s mechanics back to the level that makes him at his best by October. If he can accomplish that, the velocity should take care of itself, giving the Brewers a chance to have the best version of Harrison available for the postseason.

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