The Milwaukee Brewers improved to 91-56 on the season following their 8-6 win over the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday night. Additionally, they increased their lead in the National League Central Division over those same Cubs to 10.0 games with 15 left play.
Unfortunately, the final contest between Milwaukee and Chicago was a great deal closer than it should have been. The Brewers entered the ninth inning with an 8-1 lead and it looked like they were about to cruise to an easy victory.
Brandon Sproat , though, walked four consecutive batters and Abner Uribe allowed all of the runners he inherited to score as well as allowed an earned run of his own.
Jul 27, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Garrett Stallings (31) throws a pitch against the San Francisco Giants during the seventh inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
After the game, Murphy was justifiably frustrated with Sproat's performance, calling it "unacceptable." It was clear then that this was going to be his final chance on the Major League roster in 2026.
Unsurprisingly, the Brewers optioned Sproat back to Triple-A Nashville on Thursday morning. They did not immediately announce a corresponding roster move, but later announced that rookie reliever Garrett Stallings was being recalled:
Stallings, acquired via trade by the Brewers back in 2024, made his Major League debut earlier this season. He appeared in four games for Milwaukee during his short cup of coffee and did not allow a run in eight innings of work.
Down in Nashville, Stallings is 5-4 with a 3.87 ERA in 25 games (14 starts). In 81.0 innings of work, he has 76 strikeouts.
Going forward, it is clear that Sproat is no longer in Milwaukee's plans for 2026. While he has the potential to be a back-end starter eventually, his inconsistent rookie season has proven that he is not ready yet.
As fans will recall, the only reason Sproat was back on the Big League roster to begin with was because Grant Anderson was placed on the injured list. Stallings will now fill the void previously left by Grant, but it is likely he will not be used in high-leverage situations if Murphy can avoid it.
Aug 3, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Brandon Sproat (23) and catcher William Contreras (24) talk on the mound in the third inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images
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