Brewers: Pitchers Elvis Peguero and Julio Teheran Swap Spots on IL Among Other Moves

Earlier today, the Milwaukee Brewers reinstated a player from the injured list who was a big part of their success in the starting rotation earlier this season. Unfortunately, they also ended up sending a player who has been equally important to the bullpen to the IL in his place.

Julio Teheran, who had helped stabilize the starting rotation after some injuries to the pitching staff when the Brewers acquired him in May, was taken off the IL by the team on Wednesday. He had been out since July 30th with a hip impingement.

Teheran got off to a blazing start for the Crew this season with a 1.53 ERA through his first six starts, giving up no more than two earned runs in any of them. He then, however, gave up 27 earned runs over the course of his next five starts before landing on the IL.

In his stead, reliever Elvis Peguero replaced Teheran on the IL. The 26-year-old emerged early as the 7th inning portion of the three-headed monster at the back of the Brewers bullpen and has a 3.38 ERA in 61.1 innings pitched on the season. Those innings dwarf the 19.2 innings he had pitched for his entire MLB career prior to the 2023 season.

In addition to the IL swap of Elvis Peguero and Julio Teheran, Colin Rea was optioned to Triple-A Nashville while J.B. Bukauskas was recalled by the Brewers.

Like Teheran, righty Colin Rea also stepped up big this season to provide some much needed stability to the starting rotation. He had been doing so again lately, having made four long appearances in the month of September while being shuffled between Milwaukee and Nashville (two were starts while two were four-plus-inning outings where the team used an opener).

The Brewers are smack dab in the middle of a stretch of 17 games in 17 days, though, and utilizing a six-man rotation. With Teheran returning, someone from the rotation had to be removed from the roster in his place and Rea is both low man on the totem pole and has the team using one of his minor league options this season.

And with Peguero heading to the IL, Milwaukee can use an extra reliever in the bullpen, hence the addition of J.B. Bukauskas. Acquired off waivers by the Brewers in April, the 26-year-old has pitched just two innings for the Crew this season and has yet to give up a hit or run.

It's not yet known if or when Teheran will start for the Brewers but there's a good chance it happens soon. Perhaps it happens on a day where Milwaukee locks up a spot in the postseason.