Brewers' upcoming pitching schedule indicates Kyle Harrison role change is coming

For much of the 2026 season, Milwaukee Brewers fans were expecting to see a formidable one-two punch of Jacob Misiorowski and Kyle Harrison atop their postseason rotation. The pair's dominant first half led to conversations at the midseason trade deadline regarding which starter the Brewers could acquire to form one of the strongest starting pitching trios in the sport heading into the postseason. However, now that conversation has drastically shifted.

Misiorowski remains the clear-cut ace and the frontrunner for the NL Cy Young Award this year, but Harrison's effectiveness has dipped during the second half of the season. The 25-year-old southpaw, who has enjoyed something of a breakout season this year, landed on the IL with left forearm tightness back in early July and ever since his return at the beginning of August, simply hasn't looked the same.

After turning in a 3.01 ERA during his first 17 starts of the season, with a 5.05 strikeout-to-walk rate, Harrison has posted a 5.67 ERA with a 2.54 strikeout-to-walk rate in six starts since returning from the injured list. What's far more concerning is that Harrison's fastball doesn't have the same velocity nor shape that it had prior to the injury, suggesting his issues run deeper than the stat sheet.

As a result, the Brewers were reportedly exploring alternative options with their key left-hander down the stretch. Whether it be moving him into a bullpen role or shortening his starts, the Brewers' latest update on their upcoming starting pitching schedule confirms that Harrison's role is about to change.

Kyle Harrison not yet included in weekend starting pitching probables, suggesting a role change is on the horizon

Earlier today, the Brewers announced that trade deadline acquisition Dustin May will start tomorrow night's series opener against the Cincinnati Reds, but did not yet name a starter for Saturday or Sunday's contests. Had the Brewers stuck to their normal schedule, Harrison would have been named the starter for Saturday's game, but the fact that they aren't yet ready to commit to the southpaw suggests there's more going on behind the scenes.

Manager Pat Murphy did say that Harrison will pitch over the weekend in some capacity, but his role is yet to be determined. Whether he starts a game or comes in as a relief pitcher, it's expected that Harrison won't see a normal starter's workload. The Brewers want to see if switching him to shorter stints will alleviate his recent ineffectiveness to some extent.

The Brewers need Harrison to be the pitcher he was during the first half of the season if they want to make a deep run in the postseason this year. They don't necessarily need him to cover five or six innings during games in October, but they need him to be effective, and his recent performance doesn't offer encouragement that he will be. Therefore, a focal point for the Brewers during the final weeks of the regular season will be figuring out how to return Harrison to his dominant self. Whether or not Harrison can be trusted in October has ripple effects throughout the Brewers' postseason pitching staff -- ones that could leave them in a tricky position in their quest for a World Series championship.

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