With a depleted bullpen and a critical postseason bye at stake, the Milwaukee Brewers turn to the southpaw to provide much-needed relief innings.
The Milwaukee Brewers bullpen was stretched pretty thin after a 6-5 win in 10 innings against the Baltimore Orioles, so they're going to need a lengthy start out of Robert Gasser in game two.
This is a team that has had multiple 15+ consecutive game stretches this season, so to see them in game five of six before an off day on Monday, Sept. 21, is quite refreshing.
That said, the bullpen is still in rough shape. Most, if not all, of manager Pat Murphy's top relievers were used in the series opener.
It all worked out in the end as the Brewers pulled out a one-run victory, but now, all eyes are on Colton Gordon, who's expected to make his debut in game two.
Gordon will likely follow Gasser
There's no telling how many innings the Brewers will get out of Gasser in this one. Their bullpen has had to eat tons of innings lately due to short starts by the likes of Kyle Harrison and Dustin May, so the last thing Murphy wants to do is burn more arms than he has to.
Remember, Gordon was acquired in the Lance McCullers Jr. trade back on July 15. The Brewers didn't get much out of McCullers, but it seemed like one of the main reasons they made that trade was to bring in Gordon.
Garrett Stallings was optioned after a strong three-inning performance, but Murphy and Co. knew they needed fresh arms going into this Orioles series.
With a chance to secure a first-round bye at stake in this series, every single inning matters. Gordon was seen getting loose in the series opener, but his Brewers debut would have to wait.
After being recalled on Friday, Sept. 18, it seems like the time is now for Gordon to make his debut. The Brewers would love to see Gasser go five innings, and it'll be up to Gordon to see how far he can go during the rest of the game.
A look at Gordon's numbers in 2026
The former Houston Astros pitcher has made just four appearances in the big leagues this season.
Gordon started one of those four, but he isn't being asked to start for the Brewers, at least not yet.
Keep in mind, he hasn't pitched in the majors since April 24. The 27-year-old gave up 12 earned runs in 9.1 innings, so he's a work in progress, to say the least.
The Florida native is 7-8 in the minors this season in 24 appearances (23 starts) with a 4.11 ERA.
