Milwaukee Brewers release full Wild Card series roster

Following the reports of Devin Williams being left off of the postseason roster, the Brewers released their full roster for their series against the Dodgers.

First of all, the Brewers are carrying 12 pitchers into this series. We already knew two of those pitchers, with Brent Suter getting the start in Game 1 and Brandon Woodruff lined up for Game 2. One point of interest is that Brett Anderson was also left off the roster. This was later confirmed by Tom Haudricourt, who reported that Anderson is dealing with a blister and was left off as a result. Anderson had been a candidate to start a potential Game 3, but with him also off the roster, the most likely candidates on the roster now are Adrian Houser and Josh Lindblom. However, knowing how manager Craig Counsell uses his bullpen, don’t count out the possibility of all hands on deck for a potential bullpen Game 3. With Williams gone, every pitcher in that bullpen will be needed, and could be used to get through a game. The bullpen will consist of Ray Black, Alex Claudio, Josh Hader, Corey Knebel, Freddy Peralta, Drew Rasmussen, Justin Topa, and Eric Yardley.

On the position player side, the Brewers will carry three catchers into the postseason, with David Freitas, Jacob Nottingham, and Omar Narvaez all making it. This isn’t too much of a surprise, since keeping three on the roster is more for safety. Freitas is likely there as an emergency option, as he did not play in a game for the Brewers during the regular season. However, he still could be used if needed. Narvaez and Nottingham will get most of the work, with the starter depending on matchups, or potentially who is playing better.

In the infield, there’s not much for surprises there. Ryon Healy made the roster after being a late season addition, recalled from the alternate site on September 25. The other strong addition is Daniel Vogelbach, who was claimed from the Blue Jays on September 3 and has made an impact on this team in his short time. Since joining the Brewers, he is hitting .328/.418/.569 in 19 games with four home runs and 12 RBI. Rounding out the infield is Orlando Arcia, Jedd Gyorko, Keston Hiura, Eric Sogard, and Luis Urias.

The outfield is also about what was expected. Ben Gamel is back after being placed on the 10-day IL on September 20. Christian Yelich, Ryan Braun, and Avisail Garcia round out the starters, with Jace Peterson and Tyrone Taylor available as well.

It may not be the roster we were hoping for, but it’s still a roster that’s capable of creating an upset. In a three-game series, anything can happen. With Counsell at the helm, be ready for him to use this roster in whatever way he sees necessary to win these games.

Statistics courtesy of Baseball-Reference.