Game Thread #76: Milwaukee Brewers (42-33) vs Tampa Bay Rays (40-32)

The Brewers open up a six-game road trip on Tuesday with a trip to Florida to face the Tampa Bay Rays. Tuesday is the first of two games between the clubs, with tonight’s first pitch at 6:10 pm CT. The Brewers will have Brandon Woodruff on the mound to face off against right-hander Shane Baz.

Tonight marks the long-awaited return of Brandon Woodruff, who has missed the last month of action due to an ankle injury followed by a hand injury. Woodruff had a 5-3 record with a 4.74 ERA and 1.24 WHIP in nine starts before his injury. In his last rehab start, Woodruff threw 74 pitches across five innings, striking out seven for the Timber Rattlers. Woodruff's return will see Craig Counsell decide who to keep in the rotation, as the likes of Chi Chi Gonzalez and Jason Alexander have filled the void over the last month.

Tonight also sees the return of Kolten Wong to the lineup, as he has missed the last few weeks with a calf injury. Wong was slashing .228/.321/.389 with an OPS of .709 and five home runs before his injury. The big question surrounding Wong’s return is where he will be slotted in the batting order. Batting primarily leadoff before his injury, Wong is penciled in the fifth spot tonight, with Yelich remaining at the leadoff spot. Since getting moved to leadoff, Yelich has improved at the plate, slashing .306/.398/.417 with two home runs in his last 18 games.