Pat Murphy reveals how Brewers will handle October if Trevor Megill is unavailable

The Brewers spent most of the summer landing the final punch with Trevor Megill slamming the door in the ninth. Then came the curveball: a right flexor strain that sent Megill to the 15-day IL on August 27 (retroactive to August 25). October is creeping up, the margin for error is shrinking, and Milwaukee needed an answer. Manager Pat Murphy already had one ready. Instead of forcing a one-size-fits-all closer, he’s shifting the late-inning mindset to a simple truth: use your best relievers when the most dangerous opposing hitters appear, not when the inning number says so.

We saw the blueprint on September 18 in a 5–2 win that completed a sweep of the Angels. With the heart of Los Angeles’ order due in the eighth, Murphy tapped Abner Uribe for the fireman job. When the bottom of the lineup rolled around in the ninth, he handed the ball to Jared Koenig to finish it. That wasn’t panic, it was planning. Without Megill, “Murph” is going matchup-heavy in the last six outs, and that’s exactly the kind of flexible, leverage-first thinking that plays in October.

Pat Murphy reveals closer-by-committee path while Trevor Megill heals

Uribe gives this plan real teeth. He’s carried a 1.77 ERA with 86 strikeouts in 71 1/3 innings and has been nails in high-leverage spots all year. The stuff, the poise, the ability to miss bats, Uribe is the guy you trust when the middle of the order is lurking and one swing can flip a game. Deploying him in the eighth against the best hitters is less about titles and more about outs. 

Koenig, meanwhile, is the steady counterpoint. He’s not as flashy as Uribe, but the results are bankable: a 3.10 ERA with 64 strikeouts in 61 innings. When the lineup pockets soften or you want a different look to change pace, Koenig can close a clean frame, steal soft contact, and keep traffic to a minimum. It’s a one-two late-inning rhythm that lets Milwaukee dictate terms instead of reacting.

None of this changes who the alpha is when he’s healthy. Megill remains explosive and is the true closer of the group; the ninth inning will be his again the moment he’s ready. But his absence hasn’t unraveled anything. The Brewers’ bullpen has been one of baseball’s most reliable units, and the Uribe-Koenig leverage dance is proof they can cover the big moments until Megill returns — and even after, when every game becomes a chess match.

Bottom line for Brewers fans: this is a staff built for October. If Megill is unavailable, Murphy’s matchups-over-labels approach protects the highest-leverage outs and maximizes what each arm does best. When Megill makes it back, Milwaukee simply adds its hammer to a formula that’s already working. Either way, the path is clear: win the biggest battles whenever they show up, and the ninth inning will take care of itself.