Veteran southpaw JoJo Romero nears his Milwaukee Brewers debut following an appendectomy, promising to bolster a dominant relief corps with high-leverage experience.
The Milwaukee Brewers’ bullpen could soon receive another significant reinforcement despite already ranking among the strongest relief units this year.
Milwaukee owns the best record in MLB at 78-49, with its bullpen playing an important role in that success. Brewers relievers have combined for a 3.40 ERA, the third-best mark in MLB..
The unit recently suffered a significant setback when Abner Uribe landed on the 15-day Injured List. Fortunately for Milwaukee, Uribe appears to be progressing toward a return shortly after serving the minimum amount of time.
He is not the only reliever moving closer to rejoining the bullpen.
Veteran left-hander JoJo Romero has taken an important step in his recovery after undergoing an appendectomy and being placed on the 15-day Injured List.
When will Romero return?
Romero has not pitched since July 12, but his rehabilitation continues moving in a positive direction.
According to Adam McCalvy from MLB.com, Romero threw a multi-inning bullpen session and is scheduled to face hitters during live batting practice Friday.
If he completes those steps without complications, Romero could soon receive clearance to begin a minor league rehab assignment.
Before his surgery, the 29-year-old was enjoying a solid season with the St. Louis Cardinals.
Romero owns a 3.35 ERA with 43 strikeouts in 43 innings over 44 appearances this season.
The Cardinals traded him to Milwaukee while he was still on the Injured List.
The Brewers had been connected to several prominent players before the trade deadline, including Tarik Skubal.
Instead of completing a blockbuster for one of the biggest available names, Milwaukee strengthened both its bullpen and starting rotation by acquiring Romero and Dustin May from St. Louis.
Some Brewers fans were frustrated with the organization’s deadline approach, but Romero and May represented two solid additions.
How Romero can help
Romero can provide crucial late-inning depth while giving the Brewers another dependable option from the left side.
Romero’s ability to handle important situations should become increasingly valuable as Milwaukee approaches the postseason.
His presence would also give the Brewers greater flexibility when determining matchups and prevent the team from becoming overly dependent on the same relievers.
His composure and experience pitching in leverage situations are important qualities for a contender, even though he has never appeared in the postseason.
That will change this year given Milwaukee’s position.
Romero does not need to transform the bullpen by himself. He is joining a unit that has already performed at a high level.
If his recovery continues progressing as expected, his role will be to make one of MLB’s strongest bullpens even deeper for the stretch run and the postseason.
