Shane Drohan is set to make his major league debut Tuesday night against the Boston Red Sox, and the matchup carries an immediate twist: the pitcher will be facing the organization that traded him away in February. The Brewers called Drohan up Monday from Triple-A Nashville after reliever Jared Koenig was placed on the 15-day injured list.
Boston will counter with Sonny Gray, who has 27 wins over the previous two seasons with St. Louis and enters with a 5-6 record and a 4.55 ERA in 20 career starts against Milwaukee. The game comes one night after Boston snapped a three-game skid and evened the series with a 3-2 victory despite managing just three hits, a reminder that the Red Sox have already shown they can squeeze out a result even when the bats are quiet.
Drohan was acquired in February from Boston with pitcher Kyle Harrison and infielder David Hamilton for infielders Caleb Durbin, Andruw Monasterio and Anthony Seigler. He has made one start this season at Triple-A Nashville, allowing two runs on three hits in 3 1/3 innings without a decision. Last year, he went 5-1 with a 2.27 ERA in 12 games, including 11 starts, for Worcester, and he also went 1-2 with a 4.26 ERA in four spring training outings with Milwaukee.
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The Brewers are already without injured starters Jackson Chourio and Andrew Vaughn, and manager Pat Murphy said Tuesday that Brice Turang probably is not headed for the injured list. Murphy said Turang is playing through a foot or ankle issue, but he also praised what the infielder has still given the club, saying he has helped Milwaukee win by getting on base and playing defense and by drawing walks that remain important to the team’s approach.
That leaves Milwaukee trying to piece together another night with a short-handed lineup and a debuting starter, while Boston has a familiar arm on the mound and a little more room after stopping its slide. Drohan’s first outing will not just be a personal milestone; it will also answer whether Milwaukee can keep turning over its roster and still hold up against a division opponent that has already found a way to survive a low-offense game.
