The Milwaukee Brewers set their 26-man NL Division Series roster on Saturday morning for the postseason matchup against the San Diego Padres, carrying 13 pitchers and 13 position players, with infielder Joey Ortiz and right-hander Dustin May securing spots despite recent injury questions.
Brewers Include Injured Joey Ortiz on Active Squad
Ortiz faced a race against time to make the playoff cut after suffering abdominal, groin, and right knee injuries during the team’s final road series in Philadelphia. The infielder injured his knee banging into the wall in foul ground, which kept him out of the final weekend of the regular season against the St. Louis Cardinals. Despite those physical hurdles, the Brewers included Ortiz on the active squad.
His return provides a significant boost for the club. Ortiz hit .341 with an .884 OPS from August 2 through the end of the regular season, cementing his role at third base after transitioning off shortstop in June. When asked about his readiness on the way to the batting cage before Game 1 against Padres left-hander Robbie Ray, Ortiz offered a brief assessment.
“I’m ready to go.”
Brewers manager Pat Murphy acknowledged that Ortiz might not be at full strength. Murphy noted that the physical issues had seemingly impacted the player even before the series in Philadelphia, but the team decided to move forward with him anyway.
“We’re hoping. We’re definitely hoping,” Murphy said. “He’s not going to be 100%, but we’re hoping he feels good enough to play. I think the injury was bugging him even before [Philadelphia]. I saw a little trending down of his focus, and I knew something was bugging him. But we’re going with it. We feel like he’s ready.”
Pitching Depth and the Decision to Carry Thirteen Arms
The choice to carry 13 pitchers shaped the rest of the roster decisions. That heavy pitching load allowed the club to include left-hander Kyle Harrison, whose status was uncertain after he struggled through September and was removed from the starting rotation. While Harrison will likely work out of the bullpen, fellow right-hander Dustin May is positioned to possibly start as early as Game 3 on Tuesday.
May posted a 1.23 ERA across 22 innings in three starts against San Diego this season—two with the Cardinals and one with the Brewers following a Trade Deadline acquisition. Brewers president of baseball operations Matt Arnold emphasized May’s value against this specific opponent.
Arnold added that May has displayed encouraging signs and very good stuff during recent outings, even if the final outcomes have varied at times. Murphy stated that keeping him on the active list was straightforward and did not require lengthy debates.
The pitching corps features six left-handers—Aaron Ashby, Shane Drohan, Robert Gasser, DL Hall, Kyle Harrison, and JoJo Romero—giving the team flexibility for multi-inning relief.
The Complete Division Series Matchup Breakdown
Milwaukee’s roster construction left little room for external surprises, effectively squeezing out alternative candidates like Brandon Lockridge and Andrew Fischer by keeping both William Contreras and Gary Sánchez behind the plate.
| Roster Group | Player Count | Key Names |
|---|---|---|
| Catchers | 2 | William Contreras, Gary Sánchez |
| Infielders | 6 | Jake Bauers, David Hamilton, Joey Ortiz, Cooper Pratt, Brice Turang, Andrew Vaughn |
| Outfielders and DH | 5 | Jackson Chourio, Sal Frelick, Luis Lara, Garrett Mitchell, Christian Yelich |
| Pitchers | 13 | Aaron Ashby, Shane Drohan, Robert Gasser, DL Hall, Kyle Harrison, Logan Henderson, Dustin May, Trevor Megill, Jacob Misiorowski, Chad Patrick, JoJo Romero, Antonio Senzatela, Abner Uribe |
“I’ve said this ad nauseum, but as a guy in my position, when you see those guys start to believe in themselves, gosh, that’s one of the best feelings you can have,” Murphy said. “He faltered a little bit offensively and then this year, he got a lot of attention [from critics] saying, ‘You’ve got to replace him.’ He’s just responded. I’m just happy for him.”
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