The pieces aren’t all there yet, but the Milwaukee Brewers‘ bullpen is creeping back toward full strength. Closer Trevor Megill has not progressed as fast as hoped, but seems to be on track to return in plenty of time for the playoffs. Grant Anderson is back after a multi-week absence. With a few days off sprinkled into a normal schedule, everyone has had a chance for a breather following August’s brutal spree of games.
Tuesday afternoon, the Brewers announced that two more relievers are progressing toward returns into the not-so-distant future: right-hander Nick Mears, sidelined since September 1, and southpaw DL Hall, who hasn’t pitched mid-August. Milwaukee could use both of them.
Brewers to get Mears back soon; Hall likes where he’s at
For Mears, the news is a bit better. In fact, manager Pat Murphy anticipates having him available tomorrow assuming his bullpen session goes well.
Hall is making steady progress, but does not appear headed for quite so soon a comeback.
DL Hall had a light bullpen this afternoon and will throw another of 25 pitches on Thursday. After that, maybe an up-down on Sunday. The exact return to game action is TBD but he would like to try and return before the playoffs.
— Curt Hogg (@CyrtHogg) September 16, 2025
That doesn’t sound like a pending return, but it’s encouraging that Hall is positive about his trajectory:
Brewers lefty DL Hall threw a light bullpen today and said he felt great. He faces a couple more steps before he would be game-ready, but moving in the right direction to be an option for October.
— Adam McCalvy (@AdamMcCalvy) September 16, 2025
Due to Hall’s injury history, some fans may be skeptical about a potential return or whether the team actually needs him. Frequently sidelined in his Brewers career, he began the year hurt and did not take the mound until late May.
On the season, Mears is 5-3 with a 3.42 ERA and 0.91 WHIP (52.2 innings.). Hall, valuable in long relief, has a 3.35 ERA and 1.04 WHIP in 37.2, averaging two innings per appearance.
Of the two, Mears is more likely to have his seat saved for the playoffs. As a right-hander limited to an inning at a time, he is a solid complement to Jared Koenig from the opposite side in the sixth or seventh innings.
Hall does not have the same job security. Although the Brewers have used fellow left-hander Aaron Ashby in a late-inning role, he can also be deployed as a long reliever like Hall. Ashby is one of Milwaukee’s better bullpen arms and not going anywhere.
In the postseason, the Brewers may also elect to use one or more starters in a long relief capacity, limiting Hall’s value further. After a strong start to his season, it does not help that he struggled in three of his last four appearances.
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