Prior to yesterday’s 3-2 win over the Mets, the Brewers placed right-hander Logan Henderson on the 15-day injured list with what was initially termed as elbow inflammation. Manager Pat Murphy revealed to reporters (including MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy) postgame that an MRI indicated Henderson is dealing with a right flexor strain. A rehab timeline isn’t yet known, but it is at least a good sign that the rookie pitcher has avoided structural damage.
Henderson had been scheduled to start today’s game, but Tobias Myers will now take the ball for his first start since May 17. Milwaukee called Myers up from Triple-A Nashville in the corresponding move for Henderson’s IL placement. Reliever Shelby Miller (acquired from the Diamondbacks at the trade deadline) was also activated from the 15-day IL, with right-hander Easton McGee optioned to Triple-A on Thursday to open up roster space in advance of Miller’s reinstatement.
It was just a week ago that Henderson was himself recalled from Triple-A as an injury replacement, taking over Jacob Misiorowski’s rotation spot after Misiorowski was sidelined by a left tibia contusion. Since that injury wasn’t considered to be too serious, it is possible Misiorowski could be activated from the 15-day IL when first eligible on August 15. Since the Brew Crew have an off-day on Thursday, Myers might just be needed for one turn in the rotation if all goes well with Misiorowski’s recovery.
Milwaukee’s rotation was crushed by injuries in the first few weeks of the season, which opened the door for Henderson to make his Major League debut on April 20. He was optioned back to Nashville after that outing, called back for three more starts in May, then sent down again until his return to the big leagues last week.
It is a testament to the Brewers’ pitching depth that Henderson has been a spare part, even though he has a 1.78 ERA, 33.3% strikeout rate, and an 8.1% walk rate over his first 25 1/3 innings in the Show. His 3.12 SIERA is only slightly less impressive, and Henderson has benefited from the big outlier of a 96.2% strand rate, and a favorable .255 BABIP. This batted-ball luck is noteworthy since Henderson has only a 22.8% grounder rate, but opposing batters are only making hard contact 33.2% of the time against the righty’s offerings.
Between these numbers in the majors and a 3.59 ERA over 77 2/3 Triple-A frames, there has been a lot to like about Henderson’s 2025 season. A fourth-round pick for the Brewers in the 2021 draft, Henderson has lined himself up nicely to be a big part of the club’s rotation plans going forward, probably as soon as 2026. Brandon Woodruff and Jose Quintana are both expected to become free agents this winter once their mutual options are declined, leaving a couple of holes to be filled on the pitching staff.
This assumes, of course, that Henderson is able to recover properly from this flexor strain. Even a relatively minor strain will certainly result in more than 15 days on the IL, just out of natural precaution about arm-related injuries. It is probably safe to rule Henderson out for the remainder of August, and his availability for the rest of the regular season (and the playoffs) could potentially be in jeopardy. As noted by McCalvy, Henderson’s injury history includes a surgery to fix a fractured elbow, which limited him to 13 2/3 innings during the 2022 minor league season.