Brewers' Double Shutout Triumph Marred by Myers' Injury Blow

During today’s divided squad activity, the Milwaukee Brewers Got two shutouts against the Angels and Athletics. The positive side was that; however, Tobias Myers, who began the game for Milwaukee in Tempe against the Angels, had to exit during the second inning due to "discomfort" in his left oblique. This development cast a shadow over what would have been an impressive day overall for Brewers' pitching staff, which included strong performances from key players like opening-day starter Freddy Peralta.

At American Family Field in Phoenix, both teams began strong. In the second inning, the Brewers took control against A’s starting pitcher Mitch Spence. Following a leadoff HBP from Joey Ortiz, Manuel Margot and Jorge Alfaro delivered consecutive doubles, scoring two runs each. Milwaukee added another run later in the same frame when Cooper Pratt stepped in for the injured Brice Turang—who wasn’t expected to play—and drove in a runner with a base knock into right field. The rally continued as Sal Frelick singled next, setting up a monumental three-run homer by William Contreras. This blast was anything but easy; it showcased his power effectively.

William Contreras just smacked a ball harder than anything I've ever heard at AmFam Fields of Phoenix. It might have reached all the way to New Mexico. Opening day is coming up shortly.

— Curt Hogg (@cyrthogg.bsky.social) 2025-03-15T20:44:19.255Z

The Brewers were not finished yet. A single from Christian Yelich temporarily removed Spence from the game, after which Rhys Hoskins hit his sixth home run of the preseason. This brought the Brewers' total runs for the inning up to eight.

At the same time, in Tempe, the relatively inexperienced Brewers squad seized an early advantage as well, but their approach was more focused on strategic plays rather than home runs. The Brewers began with consecutive hits—a single each for Isaac Collins and Garrett Mitchell—and subsequently, Collins came around to score due to a fielder’s choice off the bat of Oliver Dunn. After advancing extra bases thanks to a couple of wild pitches—one when Dunn reached and another following his popout—Dunn eventually crossed the plate on a two-out RBI hit by Jake Bauers. Then, in the subsequent frame, Milwaukee extended their lead further via a sacrifice fly executed by Collins.

However, the significant development during that second inning in Tempe was Myers' departure from the game. He gestured towards the dugout as soon as two outs were recorded in the bottom part of the inning. Upon reviewing the footage, there didn't seem to be anything out of place initially. Nonetheless, Myers appeared visibly uncomfortable. The commentators subsequently mentioned that he had been taken out due to "discomfort in his left side." While it does not appear to be a severe issue, oblique problems for pitchers tend to linger, which now casts serious doubts over whether Myers will start on Opening Day.

We'll await updates on Myers' injury status; should he not be available when the regular season starts, it creates an opening in the pitching rotation. Assuming Brandon Woodruff isn’t fully prepared after making his Cactus League debut tomorrow, another pitcher might step up. This opportunity could benefit Elvin Rodriguez, whose performance began well this spring yet took a turn with some tough outings recently, including his initial start against Cactus League opponents. Despite facing challenges lately, Rodriguez stands ready as he holds both a major-league deal and a place on the 40-man squad, simplifying administrative moves.
Tyler Alexander shares a comparable contractual position but enters less favorably due to inconsistent performances throughout spring training without having made any starting appearances.

The Brewers might consider turning to a minor league player like Logan Henderson, who has performed exceptionally well during spring training and stands as the most likely candidate right now. However, such a move would necessitate adding him to the 40-man roster. If Myers' injury turns out not to be severe, the team may opt to maintain their versatility, particularly since Woodruff’s comeback to the starting lineup appears imminent.

For the remaining games, things calmed down significantly following those initial high-scoring matches. At Tempe, Garrett Mitchell demonstrated his prowess in center field with some impressive defensive plays. The Brewers then extended their lead by scoring another run in the sixth inning when Isaac Collins hit his third base knock of the afternoon—a single immediately preceded by Andruw Monasterio tripling. Throughout this match, Mitchell excelled offensively as well, securing two more hits. Meanwhile, despite being unsuccessful in getting a hit, Tyler Black managed to draw three walks. Following Myers' departure due to injury, relief pitchers Nick Merkel, Connor Thomas—who boasts an exceptional ERA of 0.96 and seems destined for a roster spot—Grant Anderson, Abner Uribe, and Bayden Root kept the opposition scoreless through consecutive innings.

In their respective homes in Phoenix, both teams failed to score beyond the eight runs that the Brewers managed to accumulate in the second inning. Peralta excelled with his performance during this game. ¹ ⁄ ₃ Innings where he did not issue any walks and recorded four strikeouts, reducing his spring ERA to 2.61. Additionally, Trevor Megill, Jared Koenig, Easton McGee, and Grant Wolfram contributed with scoreless outings in this match. The team only conceded a walk in the ninth frame.

After being relieved from duty, Myers addressed the press stating that he didn’t feel particularly worried about the situation. However, Pat Murphy had a bleaker outlook on things, as per Adam McCalvy’s report, expressing his deep concern.

If Myers ends up missing regular-season games due to this injury, it will significantly impact a pitching staff that had planned for an impressive eight-deep lineup of high-quality starters. It was known from the outset that Robert Gasser would be sidelined for much of the year and that Woodruff might not be fit to begin the season. However, the unforeseen setbacks to DL Hall and Aaron Ashby came as a surprise. With Myers joining them, the Brewers now face the predicament of having their entire major-league starting rotation dealing with injuries.

You have two chances to watch the Brewers tomorrow, with both games streaming on the FanDuel Sports Network starting at 3:10 PM for Woodruff’s spring debut, followed by another match later on MLBN at 6:40 PM where Jacob Misiorowski takes the mound for their spring showcase game.