The Milwaukee Brewers are preparing to host the St. Louis Cardinals this week, with the first game scheduled for Memorial Day Monday. Milwaukee currently holds the lead in the NL Central with a 30-20 record. The Cardinals arrive following weather disruptions in Cincinnati, where they experienced two rainouts either side of a doubleheader.
Brewers’ Injury List Dominated by Pitchers
Milwaukee’s injured list features several pitchers. Right-handers Quinn Priester and Brandon Woodruff are currently sidelined, alongside lefties Angel Zerpa, Rob Zastryzny, and Jared Koenig. Zastryzny, Koenig, and Woodruff are nearing their returns, while Priester is aiming to return in June. Zerpa is out for the season due to Tommy John surgery. Outfielders Akil Baddoo and Brandon Lockridge are also out. Baddoo is currently rehabbing at Triple-A Nashville, and Lockridge is expected to return in mid- to late June.
Cardinals’ Injuries Limited to Position Players
St. Louis has a relatively short injured list, consisting of three position players. Outfielders Lars Nootbaar and Nathan Church are both out. Nootbaar is aiming for a June return after undergoing double heel surgery and is currently rehabbing at Triple-A Memphis. Church was placed on the IL with a left shoulder strain over the weekend, with his return currently TBD. Infielder Ramón Urías is also on the IL with a right elbow injury since May 5, with his return TBD.
Key Offensive Players
Jake Bauers and Brice Turang are tied for the Milwaukee home run lead with seven each. William Contreras has been performing well, with a .303/.371/.410 line, four homers, eight doubles, 30 RBIs, and 28 runs. Other offensive contributors for Milwaukee include Christian Yelich, Garrett Mitchell, Sal Frelick, Jackson Chourio, Gary Sánchez, and Andrew Vaughn. Joey Ortiz, David Hamilton, Blake Perkins, and Luis Rengifo provide additional depth.
The Brewers are hitting .246/.333/.361 as a team, with 34 homers, 246 runs, and 54 steals.
Cardinals’ Offensive Leaders
Jordan Walker is having a strong year for St. Louis, hitting .302/.372/.594 with 15 homers, 11 doubles, and seven steals. Rookie JJ Wetherholt has nine homers and is 6-for-6 on stolen base attempts. Alec Burleson has contributed seven homers. Pedro Pagés, Nolan Gorman, Masyn Winn, Victor Scott II, and Iván Herrera are regular starters. Bryan Torres, José Fermín, César Prieto, Thomas Saggese, and Yohel Pozo add depth to the roster.
As a team, the Cardinals are hitting .242/.323/.393, with 60 homers, 233 runs, and 34 steals.
Aaron Ashby anchors
The series is set to begin on Memorial Day Monday.