Brewers' rotation picture gains clarity as plan for upcoming Dodgers series is revealed

During their weekend series against the Minnesota Twins, the Milwaukee Brewers turned to two starting pitchers who began the season in Triple-A: rookie right-hander Coleman Crow and southpaw Robert Gasser. The decision served two purposes. The first was to give an extra day of rest to Milwaukee's rotation regulars, Jacob Misiorowski, Kyle Harrison, and Brandon Sproat, and the second was to line that trio up for the Brewers' first series against the Chicago Cubs of the 2026 campaign.

Already looking back on series wins against both the Twins and Cubs prior to tonight's series finale in Chicago, it's safe to say the decision worked out well for Pat Murphy and company. Crow was excellent in his second MLB start, tossing five innings against the Twins on Friday night and surrendering just one earned run. Gasser wasn't quite as sharp, but he did escape his start with just two earned runs allowed in four innings, giving the Brewers a great chance to win their Sunday matinee in the Twin Cities.

While the Brewers' brief rotation shuffle worked to great success, it did bring up questions of what the starting staff should look like going forward. Brandon Woodruff remains on the IL after experiencing a "dead arm" in a late-April start against the Arizona Diamondbacks, and Quinn Priester, despite continuing his current rehab assignment with a trip to Nashville, still has much to prove before he's re-added to the big-league rotation. With Chad Patrick excelling in his bullpen role and Crow back in Triple-A after his spot start, one job in the rotation remains open, and thanks to the Brewers' recent announcement of their starters for their upcoming series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, it's now clear who has earned it.

Robert Gasser set to remain in Brewers' rotation for upcoming series against Los Angeles

Miz, Harrison, and Sproat aren't going anywhere; the trio has effectively anchored the Brewers' rotation for the entirety of the 2026 campaign. Meanwhile, in Woodruff's absence, Logan Henderson has made three starts and is now officially scheduled for his fourth this upcoming weekend. The outstanding question was who would assume the fifth spot in the rotation before Woody returns to the active roster. Now Brewers fans officially have an answer: Gasser.

Despite his command issues in his 2026 debut over the weekend, evidenced by three hit batters and two walks, Gasser showed flashes of excellence against the Twins, and, paired with his track record, it was enough for the Brewers to give him another shot in the rotation. His sweeper remains a plus pitch and his four-seam fastball showed vastly improved movement from where it was a season ago.

Gasser's inclusion in the rotation for another turn all but solidifies Patrick's move into an Swiss Army knife-role in the bullpen, where starting games isn't necessarily out of the question, but if Patrick does so it will likely only be a three- or four-inning outing. The right-hander has been excellent in the role, covering the final four innings of Saturday night's win over the Twins, and getting one huge out in last night's victory in Wrigleyville.

The Brewers' ability to mix and match different arms in their rotation and weather the storm of having both Woodruff and Priester on the IL speaks to the incredible depth of talent on their pitching staff. Whether it's Crow or Henderson or Gasser filling in for the injured starters, the Brew Crew seemingly always finds themselves in a winnable game when the reins are passed to the bullpen.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow