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Taylor Jungmann was expected to be one of the young budding stars in the Brewers rotation this season. The season hasn't gone well for him at all in that regard. Through five starts, he has posted a 9.15 ERA and 6.06 FIP in 20.2 innings pitched. Yesterday, he allowed five runs in 3.2 innings against the Cubs. After that outing, the Brewers have decided to option Jungmann to Triple-A Colorado Springs. In addition, the Brewers have recalled RHP David Goforth for now.
Jungmann's struggles have been notable all season. His K/9 rate has dropped to 5.66 and his BB/9 rate jumped to 5.66, along with his HR/9 rate jumping to 1.31. Going back to last season, he has allowed a 9.35 ERA in 9 starts. We've discussed his struggles here, with Kyle noting a decrease in his fastball velocity, and that the numbers for Jungmann don't project an improvement. Now, Jungmann will get a chance in Triple-A to fix his pitching issues, though that environment is not the best for pitchers.
For now, the Brewers have elected to call up RHP David Goforth to fill the empty roster spot. Goforth's numbers so far this year in Colorado Springs are higher than average for him, with a 4.35 ERA and 4.44 FIP in 10.1 innings over 8 appearances. He has allowed a run in five of his eight appearances this season. In addition, his strikeout rate (6.10 K/9) and walk rate (6.10 BB/9) are worse than last year, though it is a small sample size so far.
The Brewers may not need Goforth to perform well for now, and he might be up here just to eat innings when needed. He will probably head back to Colorado Springs after Monday's game, when the Brewers will need to recall a starter for Tuesday's game. Who they will recall is up in the air, though. The most logical options would be Jorge Lopez and Junior Guerra at Triple-A Colorado Springs, or Adrian Houser and Josh Hader at Double-A Biloxi. Lopez and Houser would pitch on schedule, while Guerra or Hader would have to be pushed back.
We will have to wait and see what the Brewers decide to do for now. Whoever they call up will likely make a few starts for the team. Meanwhile, Taylor Jungmann will have to work on his mechanics at Colorado Springs for a while, and hopefully find his form again. Hopefully he can find better results and get back to the Brewers later this season.