Not long before the 2025 MLB All-Star Break, the Milwaukee Brewers welcomed back starting pitcher Brandon Woodruff, who had been sideline for nearly two full years due to a shoulder injury. In two starts since his long-awaited return to the mound, the two-time All-Star is 1-0 with a 2.61 ERA.
But Woodruff’s return, while a welcomed one, meant that rookie Chad Patrick lost his spot in the rotation. One of the favorites to win the NL Rookie of the Year Award, Patrick is 3-7 with a 3.52 ERA this season and leads all NL rookie pitchers in starts (18) and strikeouts (95).
With their two-time All-Star back in the fold, the Brewers boast a stellar starting rotation of Freddy Peralta, Jacob Misiorowski, Jose Quintana, Woodruff, and Quinn Priester.
However, it appears that one of them may be getting the Patrick treatment fairly soon.
The Milwaukee Brewers Expect Nestor Cortes Back in 10-14 Days
According to MLB insider Francys Romero, Milwaukee expects another starting pitcher, Nestor Cortes, to be available to come off of the injured list in 10-14 days:
Nestor Cortes is expected to return to the Milwaukee Brewers in about 10–14 days.
— Francys Romero (@francysromeroFR) July 17, 2025
Cortes, of course, was acquired by Milwaukee, along with Caleb Durbin, in the trade that sent All-Star closer Devin Williams to the New York Yankees. The eight-year veteran was expected to be an innings eater on the Brewers staff in his final year of arbitration before eventually leaving in free agency after the season is over.
But Cortes has appeared in just two games for Milwaukee due to an elbow injury that has kept him on the injured list since early April. He is 1-1 with a 9.00 ERA in those games.
When Cortes returns, the Brewers will have to figure out what their starting rotation will look like. They could option Priester to the minors, but he is 7-2 with a 3.55 ERA in 17 games (12 starts) this year. Alternatively, they could go with a six-man rotation for a while in the hopes that Cortes pitches well enough to be offloaded in a trade before the deadline at the end of August.
In any case, it seems that Milwaukee has too many high-quality starting pitchers right now, which is never a bad problem to have.
More Milwaukee Brewers News from Wisconsin Sports Heroics
- MLB Commission Doubles Down on Jacob Misiorowski’s Controversial All-Star Selection
- NL Manager Dave Roberts Gives Emphatic Statement in Support of Jacob Misiorowski Being Named an All-Star
- Robin Yount to Replace Bob Uecker as Spokesman of Major Brewers Sponsor
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