The Milwaukee Brewers played just two games over the last four days, which should make them well-rested for their huge weekend series against the New York Yankees. After taking two of three from the Arizona Diamondbacks and Washington Nationals, the Brewers split an abbreviated, rain-shortened two-game set in St. Louis against the Cardinals.
The Yankees come to American Family Field owning the best record (25-12) in the American League, and they hold a one-half game advantage in the AL East. The Brewers are currently in a tie for third place in the NL Central with a 19-16 record.
The two teams opened the 2025 season on March 28-30 at Yankee Stadium, and the Brewers were no match for the Bronx Bombers. The Yankees slugged 15 home runs and scored 36 runs during their three-game sweep.
This Brewers vs Yankees preview includes probable pitchers and key players as Milwaukee tries to keep pace in the standings with its division foes.
Friday, May 8, 6:40 CT: Max Fried (NYY) vs. Jacob Misiorowski (MIL)
Saturday, May 9, 6:10 CT: Cam Schlittler (NYY) vs. Kyle Harrison (MIL)
Sunday, May 10, 1:10 CT: Undecided (NYY) vs. Logan Henderson (MIL)
Milwaukee’s roster gained a stronger presence this week with the return of Jackson Chourio and Andrew Vaughn from the injured list. Both players played significant roles in the Brewers’ offense in the two games against the Cardinals.
During March, while preparing for the World Baseball Classic, Chourio was hit on the hand by a pitch during an exhibition game for Venezuela. Although he was not 100%, he did, in fact, play and contribute in his home country’s magical run to the WBC title. Only after the tournament did he learn that his left middle finger was fractured, necessitating his time on the shelf.
Chourio made his 2026 debut on Monday, and he looked like he was in mid-season form. In his first game, he went 4-for-4, and all of those swings were 102 mph or better off the bat. His night consisted of two singles, two doubles, and a walk, and he was the bright spot in Milwaukee’s 6-3 loss to St. Louis.
Brewers manager Pat Murphy has seen Chourio bounce back quickly from setbacks before.
“The kid did this last year,” said Murphy, referring to Chourio’s late-season comeback from a hamstring injury. “He knows the difference. He knows when the lights are on. Fabulous effort. Five great at-bats. We obviously didn’t come up with the big hit for him.”
Vaughn started and played in Milwaukee’s Opening Day win over the Chicago White Sox. During the game, however, he suffered a fractured hamate bone while swinging at a pitch. After a successful surgery to remove the bone the next day, Vaughn was finally ready to go against St. Louis almost six weeks later.
In the Brewers’ win over the Cardinals on Wednesday, Vaughn gave Milwaukee all the runs it needed in his first swing of the day. With two on and two out in the first inning, Vaughn connected on a 403-foot bomb off of Andre Pallante to give the Brewers a 4-0 lead. From there, the Brew Crew coasted to a 6-2 victory.
With Chourio and Vaughn back, the Brewers are still waiting to welcome Christian Yelich, who is still nursing a groin injury, back to the lineup. For now, Murphy will take the reinforcements he can get.
“Hopefully this (the return of Chourio and Vaughn) gives us a little boost and people can see light at the end of the tunnel,” he said.
To no one’s surprise, the Yankees are led offensively this season by Aaron Judge. The right fielder is once again terrorizing American League pitchers at an impressive pace. Thus far in 2026, Judge has slugged an MLB-high 15 home runs in just 37 games. Not to be outdone, infielder Ben Rice leads the AL in batting, checking in at .343, to go along with 12 dingers, and his .455 OBP and 1.214 OPS lead all of baseball.
Rice’s availability for the Milwaukee series may be in question. Rice last played on Sunday against the Baltimore Orioles. He left that game in the fourth inning due to a hand contusion suffered while trying to field a pick-off attempt. Yankees manager Aaron Boone is concerned about Rice’s prognosis, but he does not feel it will linger long-term.
Boone told MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch that Rice “hasn’t done a lot yet” while he works his way back to the field. “Boone said he still doesn’t see this as an IL situation,” Hoch wrote.
On the mound, Saturday’s starter Schlittler boasts an American League-best with a 1.52 ERA and a 0.87 WHIP. He leads the Yankees with five wins, and Fried and Will Warren have four victories apiece.
David Bednar holds down the back end of the bullpen and has converted ten of his 11 save opportunities.
The season is not yet one-fourth over, but the Brewers are facing a monumental challenge over the next six days to keep pace with other October hopefuls. Following the Yankees series, the 22-14 San Diego Padres invade American Family Field next week.
With two of the heavier hitters in all of major-league baseball on their immediate schedule, Milwaukee can ill-afford to fall asleep and drop into a slump. Being five games out of first place now is manageable, but they need to find a way to avoid falling double-digit games behind by this time next week.
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