Brewers place J.B. Bukauskas on injured list, recall Ethan Small

The Brewers announced on Wednesday afternoon that they have placed J.B. Bukauskas on the injured list and recalled Ethan Small from Triple-A Nashville.

Bukauskas is dealing with an injury to the tendon in his right ring finger. Five games remain in the regular season, and Bukauskas was unlikely to make a postseason roster, so his season is likely over.

Small joins the big-league roster for just the second time this season after appearing once out of the bullpen in May.

The 26-year-old was Milwaukee’s first-round pick in the 2019 draft, but control problems and an inability to develop a third pitch have stalled his development.

Those concerns prompted the Brewers to shift Small to a full-time relief role in Triple-A this year. He has pitched to a respectable 3.18 ERA and 3.93 FIP with the Nashville Sounds in 2023 but has limped to a 9.64 ERA and 5.95 FIP in 9 ¹⁄₃ career MLB innings.

Small will serve as a low-leverage option out of the bullpen during the final days of the regular season. Because the Brewers have already clinched the NL Central, he could follow a starter as part of a tandem arrangement if the club wants to limit the workload of its established pitchers before the Wild Card round.