The 2026 Milwaukee Brewers are proving that the 162-game MLB season is a marathon, not a sprint.
Despite losing numerous players to the injured list for extended periods, manager Pat Murphy‘s squad currently has the best record in baseball. At 77-48, Milwaukee is 2.5 games clear of the Los Angeles Dodgers for the top spot in the National League standings.
As of Tuesday, 13 prominent Brewers have landed on the IL. How has Milwaukee done this in the face of losing so many important position players and pitchers to injuries? Benefiting from role players and owning a deep minor-league system stepping up is why the Brewers are again on track to a deep October run.
Milwaukee entered its most recent series, a four-game weekend set against mighty Los Angeles, following a disastrous time against the San Diego Padres. The Brewers dropped all three games in San Diego, and their lineup took more lumps due to the injury bug.
Two-fifths of Milwaukee’s expected rotation, Brandon Woodruff and Quinn Priester, are lost for the year, as are relievers Angel Zerpa and Brian Fitzpatrick. Not only that, regulars Jackson Chourio and Andrew Vaughn both missed the first month of the season.
Recently, second baseman Brice Turang did not play against the Dodgers due to knee pain, and shortstop Cooper Pratt has been sidelined since August 8 because of a hamstring issue. Setup man Abner Uribe was placed on the IL retroactively to August 11 with a forearm strain, and newly acquired reliever JoJo Romero (abdomen) is not expected back until September. Outfielder Sal Frelick, who is battling a shoulder issue, has not played since July 17 but is expected to start a rehab assignment this week.
Yet, the Brewers claimed three of the four games in Los Angeles, serving further notice that their resiliency is allowing them to play the long game.
The Brew Crew’s plight is not an exclusive case, as other teams have coped with the loss of key performers throughout the season. The other 29 teams, however, have not navigated their obstacles with nearly as much success, thanks to Milwaukee’s minor-league and 40-man roster depth.
With devastating holes like that to fill, the Brewers limped into Chavez Ravine having lost five of seven to play the two-time defending world champions. Their middle infielders and 8th-inning fireballer were out, and the Chicago Cubs were nipping at their heels in the NL Central standings.
Enter Joey Ortiz and Logan Henderson.
In Pratt’s absence, Ortiz shifted back to shortstop, and he has been nothing but spectacular. After a dismal first half, Ortiz has batted .297 with 35 hits, five home runs, 19 RBIs, and 14 runs scored in 41 games played since June 15. Through the first three games of the Dodgers series, Ortiz had four hits, including a double and a homer, driving in four.
Teammates have taken notice of Ortiz’s resurgence.
“I think that says a lot about his (Ortiz’s) mentality and who he is as a player and a person,” closer Trevor Megill said. “He struggled for quite a while in the first half of the season, but he put together some at-bats and now we’ve put together almost a month here of playing good baseball on both offense and defense. That’s him. We’ve seen him for a couple of years. I’m just very happy to see him continue to have some success.”
Just two weeks ago, Henderson was prominently mentioned in trade rumors, especially in Milwaukee’s quest to land star pitcher Tarik Skubal. On Sunday, the two pitchers ironically matched up on the mound, and the Brewers’ youngster got the best of the Cy Young Award winner.
Henderson, now 7-2, put together his finest outing as a Brewer when his team needed it most. He tossed seven innings, allowing just three hits and one run while striking out six.
After the game, Jake Bauers, who collected four hits in the contest, praised his starting pitcher.
“There hasn’t been a pitch in a situation this season that’s looked like it’s been too big for him,” he said. “What impresses me most is just the poise, and you can feel it on defense. You look at him and he looks rock-steady up there.”
Murphy bluntly summarized his feelings on Henderson as a Brewer going forward.
“I didn’t want to lose Logan, I don’t care who it’s for,” he said. “As long as he stays healthy, he’s going to pitch for a long time.”
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After earning the best record in baseball last season, Milwaukee’s 2025 campaign abruptly ended after suffering a four-game sweep to the Dodgers in the NLCS. The word was the Brewers were not built to compete for a championship despite their regular-season accomplishments.
While much is yet to be determined, this year’s version of the Brew Crew has sent a strong message to the rest of the league. Due to its solid roster and depth, Milwaukee is, indeed, poised to prove the experts wrong.
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