Last-minute Jacob Misiorowski scratch gives another opportunity to Brewers' top pitching prospect

Milwaukee Brewers fans expected to see their rookie sensation Jacob Misiorowski toe the rubber in today's series finale against the Washington Nationals with a chance for a Brewers sweep on the line. However, on Sunday morning, the team announced that they have placed Misiorowski on the 15-day IL, retroactively to July 31, with a left tibia contusion.

The injury occurred back in the first inning of The Miz's last start. Facing the Chicago Cubs, Misiorowski was struck with a comebacker off the bat of Seiya Suzuki in the first inning. The ball, which left Suzuki's bat at 103 mph, hit Misiorowski right in the left shin, and the injury now prevents him from making his next start.

Given the late scratch and the retroactive placement on the IL, it's likely that Misiorowski was close to being able to pitch in this afternoon's contest, which hopefully means that he will spend the minimum amount of time on the IL. 15 days from July 31 is next Thursday, August 14, which would allow Misiorowski to miss just two starts and return for a Friday night game at Great American Ball Park against the Cincinnati Reds.

Now, the Brewers starting pitching depth will be tested, less than a week after they traded Nestor Cortes to the San Diego Padres at the trade deadline. They turn to their top pitching prospect, Logan Henderson, to fill in for the Miz in today's game.

Jacob Misiorowski placed on 15-day IL with left tibia contusion, replaced by Logan Henderson on the active roster

In Misiorowski's stead, another rookie right-hander will take the mound for the Brewers in Washington DC today. Logan Henderson has been recalled from Triple-A Nashville for his third stint on the major league roster this year. Between his first two stints, Henderson made four starts and posted an eye-popping 1.71 ERA. His 0.95 WHIP and 29 strikeouts in 21 innings pitched during that span tell a story of dominance that Henderson can hopefully replicate this afternoon.

That said, Henderson's last two starts in Triple-A have been two of the worst he's had all season. In each start, he allowed four earned runs while covering just 3.2 and 5.1 innings. However, even after posting a 6.00 ERA in five starts in the month of July, Henderson's season ERA at Triple-A is still hovering around the 3.50 mark, which speaks to how strong he was throughout the first three months of the season.

Presumably, Henderson will make each of Misiorowski's next two starts, the next of which would come at home against the New York Mets next weekend, and if all goes to plan, The Miz will be back in the rotation by mid-August.

Regardless, it's a tough start to the dog days of August for the Brewers, who have now lost both their star outfielder Jackson Chourio and their All-Star starting pitcher, Jacob Misiorowski, to injuries in the last three days. But, in theory, due to their depth of starting pitching, the Brewers are well-suited to endure this latest unfortunate injury.