Brewers' No. 2 starting pitcher might not be ready for 2024 regular season

With the Milwaukee Brewers down two of their best starting pitchers from the last few seasons in Brandon Woodruff and Corbin Burnes, it will be essential that they squeeze every bit of success out of the starting rotation as they can. That starts with a pair of players at the top of the rotation.

Freddy Peralta will lead the way, which is what most fans assumed even before it was essentially deemed official by the club. Behind him should be another familiar face to the rotation, left-hander Wade Miley.

Pitching as the No. 4 starter last season, Miley continued to defy Father Time as he put up a 3.14 ERA and 1.139 WHIP in 120.1 innings. He did end up having to spend a couple quick stints on the injured list but still managed to make 23 starts on the season.

At the end of the year, Miley ended up declining his half of a mutual option and became a free agent, but the two sides ended up reuniting over the offseason. Unfortunately, there are now questions as to exactly how early he'll be able to contribute in that new No. 2 role.

Brewers No. 2 starter Wade Miley may not be ready to go by the time the 2024 regular season begins.

Having not made an appearance yet this spring, new Brewers manager Pat Murphy was asked about Miley's availability before Friday's Cactus League game against the Padres. According to Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Miley's status for the beginning of the regular season is up in the air.

Heading into this spring, it had previously been reported that Miley had battled an illness this offseason and was still looking to regain a little weight. It's unknown, though, if that has anything to do with his current status.

With the look of the starting rotation a little different this season, the Brewers will likely be leaning a little less on the starters and a little more on the offense to get by in 2024. That's why it's essential that Miley pitch in as many games as possible this year, especially with uncertainty the farther you look down the rotation.

Hopefully Miley's delay is less about any injury or issue he currently has and more about just having a delay in his build up for this spring. If a late start to the season is what it takes for him to contribute for most of the rest of it, fans will probably take it.