Brewers announce first start for newly acquired May, option Sproat
The Brewers also solidified their bullpen by adding three relievers in Romero, Codi Heuer and Antonio Senzatela.
MILWAUKEE —
One of the newest members of the Brewers will make his first start with Milwaukee during their current homestand.
The Milwaukee Brewers acquired right-handed pitcher Dustin May from the St. Louis Cardinals along with left-handed reliever JoJo Romero before Monday’s trade deadline. Milwaukee sent two outfield prospects to the Cardinals in exchange: Alexander Frias (Brewers’ No. 11 prospect, according to MLB Pipeline) and Josiah Ragsdale (Brewers’ No. 13 prospect).
The Brewers announced that May will make his first start with the team on Thursday for the series finale against the Pittsburgh Pirates. As a corresponding move, the Brewers optioned Brandon Sproat to Triple-A Nashville.
May, 28 years old, spent nearly six seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers to start his career before being traded to the Boston Red Sox during the 2025 season. Injuries and an emergency surgery for a ruptured esophagus in 2024 have caused him to miss time throughout his career. In the 2024 season, he was working his back from Tommy John surgery when a piece of lettuce that he swallowed ruptured his esophagus. The freak incident was so severe that he had to undergo emergency surgery. This caused him to miss the entire 2024 season.
“I probably wouldn’t have made it through the night if I didn’t have [the surgery],” May said after the incident. “It was definitely a life-altering event.”
Since then, May has put up career-highs and returned to a solid rotation piece. After missing the 2024 season, in 2025 with Los Angeles and Boston, May was able to record a career-high in games started (23). This season, in his first year with the St. Louis Cardinals, he’s continued to establish himself as someone who any night can go the distance as a starter. He recorded his first career complete-game shutout against the San Diego Padres June 15. This year, he’s already made 21 starts. Before 2026 and 2025, the most games he started in a year was in 10 (2020). What’s also encouraging is that May has recorded his highest K/9 rate (strikeouts per nine innings pitched) at 8.8 since his 2021 season, in which he recorded a 13.7 K/9 rate in only 5 starts.
The Brewers will hope to continue to help May reach new heights, as they’ve done with recently acquired Kyle Harrison and Shane Drohan. The Brewers’ defense of Brice Turang, Joey Ortiz and Cooper Pratt in the infield should also help his production.
May wasn’t the only acquisition made by the Brewers before Monday’s deadline. The Brewers also solidified their bullpen by adding three relievers in Romero, Codi Heuer and Antonio Senzatela.
The Brewers also acquired Senzatela, a right-hander, on Monday before the deadline from the Colorado Rockies for left-hander Mark Manfredi and Juan Martinez (shortstop).
In 34 appearances this season for the Rockies, Senzatela has recorded a 3.61 ERA, 1.29 WHIP and 3 saves. Romero, in 44 appearances for the Cardinals this year, has posted a 3.35 ERA and 1.30 WHIP.
For Brewers fans that are planning to attend Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s games, Logan Henderson will pitch Tuesday night against Pirates flamethrower Jared Jones. On Wednesday, the back-to-back National League Cy Young Award Winner, Paul Skenes, will pitch for the Pirates against Kyle Harrison, who will be returning from the injured list (elbow/forearm).