The Brewers selected the right-hander Lance McCullers Jr. for the assignment, according to Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. That’s right Garrett Stallings remembered in the parallel flow of the operating system. The team’s 40-man roster stands at 38 with McCullers’ appointment.
It’s a quick turnaround considering McCullers was recently acquired from the Astros on July 15. Houston sent McCullers, a left-hander Colton Gordonand money to Milwaukee in exchange for a small player Jadyn Fielder. Essentially, the Brewers were getting a promising young arm in Gordon at the expense of Fielder and taking $2.5MM of McCullers’ remaining salary. Today’s appointment of McCullers backs that up, as the righty now enters DFA limbo after a short, disappointing stint with his new club.
The Brewers used McCullers in the 17th and used him out of the bullpen for two appearances after that. He allowed two earned runs in three innings against the Mets on July 20. He followed that with 1 2/3 innings on July 25, in which he walked four batters and allowed three runs, all unearned.
While 4 2/3 innings is a small sample size, the results were not encouraging for McCullers, who has struggled with a number of injuries and has not been a successful major league pitcher in any sample since 2022. He missed all of 2023-24 while undergoing surgery for flexor tendon problems and bone spurs. Since the start of 2025, McCullers has a 6.52 ERA in 99 1/3 innings and a walk rate of 14.1% above his previous career habits. With the club leading the NL Central and having one of the league’s best bullpens, the club was willing to move on quickly rather than continue to use a diminished McCullers, even in lower-level positions.
The righty is now headed for a full layoff, though he is certain to resign given his injury history, unemployment, and remaining salary obligations. If the team wants McCullers as a deep arm, the smart move would be to wait for him to clear waivers, then sign him to a new contract at least in the league, with the Brewers and Astros picking up the difference. A minor league contract is also possible, as McCullers could opt for free agency when he clears waivers, then stick with the Brewers’ system to re-establish himself in the at-large sample.
For now, Stallings is coming in to replace McCullers as the big man out of the bullpen. Since being selected from the 40-man roster on June 30, Stallings has appeared in two games for the Brewers, tossing three scoreless innings while allowing one hit and striking out four batters. He also pitched well at Triple-A Nashville in those two big league games. In 65 2/3 innings there, Stallings has a 3.70 ERA, a 12.6% K-BB rate, and a 0.55 HR/9 rate. He’s likely to stick around for less visibility, and he’ll likely be sent out for a new arm as the need arises.
Photo courtesy of Jeff Hanisch, Imagn Images
