dailyloe.com – The Milwaukee Brewers are set to face the Washington Nationals in a weekend series, marking their first repeat matchup of the season. Three weeks ago, the Brewers were swept at home by the Nationals, extending their losing streak to five games after being outscored 18-10 in that series. As they head to Washington, D.C., the Brewers aim to avoid a similar outcome.
Since their last encounter, the Brewers have recorded an 8-7 record, including series wins against the Blue Jays, Marlins, and D-backs. However, they also suffered series losses to the Tigers and Pirates, currently holding a season record of 16-14. In contrast, the Nationals have gone 8-9 since the sweep, achieving series victories over the White Sox and Mets while losing series to the Braves and Giants, resulting in a 15-17 record.
The Brewers have faced additional challenges with injuries to key players. Christian Yelich remains sidelined due to a groin strain sustained during the last series against Washington. Pitchers Angel Zerpa and Brandon Woodruff also encountered issues this week, with Zerpa expected to miss significant time due to forearm tightness. Woodruff exited his start early with reduced velocity, raising concerns about a potential injury.
Jackson Chourio and Andrew Vaughn are currently on rehab assignments with Triple-A Nashville, with expectations to return to the team on Monday in St. Louis. Other players, including Quinn Priester, Rob Zastryzny, and Jared Koenig, are also unavailable, although Priester is the closest to returning from his rehab assignment.
On the Nationals’ side, their injured list is heavily populated with pitchers. Clayton Beeter, Josiah Gray, DJ Herz, Cole Henry, Trevor Williams, Ken Waldichuk, Travis Sykora, and Jarlin Susana are all out for extended periods. Beeter, who went on the IL earlier this week due to forearm soreness, is anticipated to return by mid- to late-May after MRI results showed no structural damage.
Despite struggling to find consistent power, the Brewers managed to score 13 runs on both Tuesday and Thursday in victories against Arizona. Brice Turang leads the team with a .291/.422/.505 batting line, including four home runs, eight doubles, 20 RBIs, 26 runs, and seven stolen bases. The Brewers will look to build on this momentum as they face the Nationals.
