The Milwaukee Brewers hoped to get Trevor Megill before month’s end, but that no longer seems like something to set store by. Dealing with an elbow flexor strain, Megill was unable to progress as smoothly as expected in his recovery. His return date had already been pushed from mid-September to sometime later this month. Pat Murphy’s pregame comments on Wednesday cast doubt on whether the Brewers will get their closer back at all.
Brewers must prepare for Megill’s potential absence in postseason
“Nothing great,” Murphy said of what he could take away from Megill’s recent bullpen sessions. “It was not revealing but he didn’t want to push it anymore.”
More concerning, Murphy shared that Megill’s elbow is “not checking out medically.” The best he could say on a pre-postseason return: “I’m hopeful. … We’re disappointed in the situation.” His response is not exactly hope-inspiring for Brewers fans.
The bullpen has made it work in his absence, but it was never supposed to be long-term. Officially out since August 25, Megill has a 2.54 ERA with 30 saves this season as one of the game’s most reliable closers.
As long as he is missing, Abner Uribe will continue as the main option in his place. Not ideal, but it’s fine. Uribe has been lights out all year, posting a 1.82 ERA in 69 appearances. Perhaps the bigger concern is who would fill in for him as set-up man in a postseason setting.
Megill and Uribe supplied a one-two punch at the end of games that Murphy may now be tasked with recreating on a by-committee basis to begin the playoffs. Uribe has had only three saves and none in 12 days since Megill went down, so there isn’t a lot of data for speculation. Murphy likes to shuffle his pitchers to get the best matchups, meaning that there might not be a consistent tandem if Megill remains out.
On one occasion against the Phillies, Uribe took the eighth while Jared Koenig closed it out. Against lefty-heavy lineups, Koenig is one possibility in late-inning spots.
Fellow southpaw Aaron Ashby (2.43 ERA, 10.2 K/9), who has more even lefty-righty splits, could also be a proxy of sorts. Deadline addition Shelby Miller would have been an option, but he suffered his own elbow injury on September 1, ending his season. Grant Anderson and Nick Mears are options from the right side.
Obviously, the Brewers must prioritize Megill’s long-term health and professional over rushing him back for the 2025 playoffs, either before they start or too early in October.
“His health is paramount,” Murphy said. “He’s working through the process of trying to hurry up and that’s not always the best thing for a flexor strain. … It’s got to have some time to heal. Unfortunately, we don’t have that time.”
Megill could still come back, if not during the regular season then perhaps at some point during the Division Round, but the latest news doesn’t sound promising.
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