The Milwaukee Brewers left spring training excited to see the major league debut of left-handed pitcher Shane Drohan.
A piece of the six-player trade with the Boston Red Sox in February, Drohan has impressive strikeout totals, and could at least be a quality lefty relief option if he doesn’t pan out as a starter. He was pretty clearly ready for the majors at age 27, so a spot just needed to open up on Milwaukee’s deep pitching staff.
Injuries are inevitable, but there are some pitchers on the staff that feel more expendable than others. The Brewers, as the club announced on social media on Monday, placed lefty reliever Jared Koenig on the 15-day injured list with a sprained left UCL.
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Brewers’ potential bullpen shakeup sees Drohan in for Koenig
Feb 27, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Shane Drohan against the Chicago White Sox during a spring training game at American Family Fields of Phoenix. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Elbow injuries are a huge red flag in the modern Major League Baseball landscape, and Koenig, who has been arguably the most important lefty in the bullpen over the past two-plus years in Milwaukee,
Brewers manager Pat Murphy said Monday that Koenig’s injury was a “big concern,” per Adam McCalvy of MLB.com. However, the Brewers aren’t yet thinking surgery needs to be on the table, per McCalvy, and in a perfect world, Koenig could be back in two to four weeks.
As the Brewers enter a series at Fenway Park with the Red Sox, Drohan will likely get a chance to debut against the team that drafted him, developed him for five minor-league seasons, then traded him right when he was on the precipice of the big show.
But while Drohan’s potential as a reliever could be immense, Koenig is a proven commodity. He’s now made 130 appearances in a Brewers uniform since arriving in 2024 and has posted a 2.62 ERA, 9.3 strikeouts per nine innings, and a 15-5 record.
The Brewers are well-built to weather any storm, and the bullpen was already heavy on lefties. But Drohan has big shoes to fill, for however long he ends up being tapped to fill them.