The Milwaukee Brewers are back on the road, as they’ll head to Georgia to take on the Atlanta Braves in a three-game series against the NL East’s top team. Milwaukee, fresh off a pair of series wins against the Phillies and Guardians, sits in first place in the NL Central, while the Braves, with a nearly identical record to the Crew, sit ahead of the Phillies in the East.
Milwaukee’s injuries include Brandon Woodruff (expected to return next week), Coleman Crow (July), DL Hall (late July), Logan Henderson
(early July), Jared Koenig (could return in the next week), Rob Zastryzny (late June/early July), Brian Fitzpatrick (likely out for the season), Carlos Rodriguez (TBD), and season-ending injuries to pitchers Quinn Priester and Angel Zerpa. Outfielder Brandon Lockridge is also nearing a rehab assignment, meaning we could see him in late June/early July.
Atlanta is currently without pitchers Spencer Strider (TBD), Joe Jiménez (out for season), AJ Smith-Shawver (out until at least late 2026), Spencer Schwellenbach (late 2026), Danny Young (post-All-Star break), and Joey Wentz (out for season). Infielder Kyle Farmer is out with a forearm strain, catcher Sean Murphy is out until late July with a fractured finger, outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. is eligible to return this weekend (though it’s unclear if he’ll be ready at the 10-day mark), and outfielder Michael Harris II is listed as day to day with back tightness.
Jake Bauers leads Milwaukee’s offense with 13 homers, though Brice Turang and Jackson Chourio aren’t far behind at 11 and 10, respectively. Chourio has been the best hitter on the team since returning from injury, hitting over .300 over his 38 games. Gary Sánchez and William Contreras have also provided some pop behind the plate, and Garrett Mitchell, Christian Yelich, Sal Frelick, Andrew Vaughn, Joey Ortiz, David Hamilton, and rookie Cooper Pratt round out the squad. As a team, the Brewers are hitting .254/.340/.395 (.735 OPS ranks eighth), with 67 homers (26th), 383 runs (third), and 72 steals (third).
Matt Olson and Drake Baldwin are raking for the Braves, as Olson is hitting .276/.346/.552 with a team-high 20 homers and 19 doubles, and Baldwin, a Wisconsin native who missed the last few weeks, has 14 homers and is slashing .298/.381/.540 after winning NL Rookie of the Year in 2025. Harris has also had a resurgence, while Ozzie Albies and Austin Riley also provide some pop. Ha-Seong Kim, Mauricio Dubón, Mike Yastrzemski, and Dominic Smith round out the starters, with former Brewer Rowdy Tellez, Eli White, Jorge Mateo, and Sandy León serving as depth. As a team, the Braves are hitting .254/.320/.423 (.743 OPS ranks sixth), with 97 homers (sixth), 366 runs (sixth), and 39 steals (tied for 22nd).
Aaron Ashby leads Milwaukee’s bullpen with 33 appearances, pitching to a 2.80 ERA, perfect 10-0 record, and 61 strikeouts over 45 innings. Trevor Megill, Abner Uribe, and Chad Patrick round out the Brewers’ “A” bullpen, while Craig Yoho, Joel Kuhnel, and Drew Rom are the “B” bullpen, with Grant Anderson fitting somewhere in the middle. As a staff, the Brewers have a 3.43 team ERA (fourth), including a 3.39 starter ERA (fourth) and a 3.48 bullpen ERA (ninth). They’ve struck out 708 batters (first) over 645 1/3 innings.
Dylan Lee leads Atlanta’s bullpen with 33 appearances, pitching to a stellar 1.14 ERA with 40 strikeouts over 31 2/3 innings. Just about all of their bullpen has been great, in face, as closer Raisel Iglesias (1.16 ERA) is perfect across 14 save chances, Robert Suarez (0.59 ERA) has allowed just two runs over 30 2/3 innings, and Didier Fuentes (2.25 ERA over 28 IP), Reynaldo López (3.76 ERA over 40 2/3 IP), Dylan Dodd (2.08 ERA over 17 1/3 IP), James Karinchak (0.00 ERA over 3 IP), and Carlos Carrasco (3.46 ERA over 13 IP) have also been solid. As a staff, the Braves have a 3.39 team ERA (third), including a 3.73 starter ERA (fifth) and a 2.91 bullpen ERA (first). They’ve struck out 630 batters (12th) over 649 2/3 innings.
Probable Pitchers
Friday, June 19 @ 6:15 p.m.: RHP Jacob Misiorowski (8-2, 1.34 ERA, 1.68 FIP) vs. LHP Martín Pérez (5-3, 2.90 ERA, 3.82 FIP)
Misiorowski continues to dominate all opponents, as he’s among league leaders in just about every major category to this point. He leads the league in ERA (1.34), FIP (1.68), WHIP (1.68), and strikeouts (131) across 87 innings over 14 starts this season. He’s coming off the best start of his career, as he threw a 95-pitch complete game shutout with just one hit allowed and 15 strikeouts, also facing the minimum thanks to a double play. This marks Miz’s first career start against the Braves.
Pérez, 35, is in his 15th MLB season and with his seventh team, as he’s had a resurgence with the Braves this year. An All-Star for the first and only time in 2022 with Texas, Pérez has been about as good as he was that season, pitching to a 2.90 ERA, 3.82 FIP, and 51 strikeouts over 62 innings this season. He’s earned the win in each of his last three outings, allowing six runs over 15 1/3 innings (3.52 ERA) on 11 hits and six walks while striking out 11. Pérez has made five career appearances (four starts) against Milwaukee, with an 0-3 record, 8.54 ERA, and 16 strikeouts over 26 1/3 innings.
Saturday, June 20 @ 3:10 p.m.: LHP Kyle Harrison (8-1, 2.47 ERA, 3.05 FIP) vs. LHP Chris Sale (8-5, 2.30 ERA, 2.82 FIP)
If Harrison pitched for just about any other team, he’d be considered the ace of the staff. Thanks to Miz, however, he’s a measly No. 2, even with an 8-1 record, 2.47 ERA, and 3.05 FIP this year. He’s struck out 80 batters over 65 2/3 innings spanning 13 starts, and he also has solid peripherals. He’s coming off a nice bounce-back outing against the Phillies, outpitching Philadelphia ace Cristopher Sánchez as he went six scoreless innings with three hits, a hit batter, and no walks allowed, striking out three on 80 pitches. Harrison’s only appearance against Atlanta came while he was with the Giants in 2024, as he went five innings and allowed three runs on six hits and two walks, striking out six in a no-decision.
Sale, 37, is another lefty veteran for Atlanta, as he’s in his 16th MLB season with his third team. The NL Cy Young winner in 2024, Sale has a 2.30 ERA, 2.82 FIP, and 92 strikeouts over 78 1/3 innings this season. He’s coming off back-to-back losses, though, as he allowed five runs over 11 1/3 innings (3.97 ERA) on 16 hits and three walks, striking out 12 against the Blue Jays and White Sox. Sale is a perfect 2-0 over five career appearances against Milwaukee, with a 1.89 ERA and 45 strikeouts over 33 1/3 innings.
Sunday, June 21 @ 12:35 p.m.: LHP Robert Gasser (0-3, 4.88 ERA, 6.10 FIP) vs. RHP Bryce Elder (5-4, 3.15 ERA, 3.75 FIP)
Gasser, who had a great start to his career in 2024, hasn’t quite found the same magic in 2026, though he is coming off his best start of the year. While he has an 0-3 record, 4.88 ERA, 6.10 FIP, and 24 strikeouts over 24 innings this year, he looked much better than those numbers indicate against the Guardians on Tuesday night, tossing 5 2/3 scoreless frames with two hits and two walks allowed, striking out five on 92 pitches as he took the no-decision in a 2-1 victory. This marks Gasser’s first career start against the Braves.
Elder, 27, is in his fifth MLB season, all with the Braves. After earning an All-Star selection in 2023, he struggled in 2024 and 2025, but he’s bounced back nicely thus far in 2026. Across 15 starts, Elder has a 3.15 ERA, 3.75 FIP, and 73 strikeouts over 88 2/3 innings. He got roughed up against the Mets in his last appearance, allowing six runs on 10 hits and two walks with just two strikeouts over four-plus innings in an 8-1 loss. Elder has made four career starts against Milwaukee, with a 2-1 record, 4.30 ERA, and 18 strikeouts over 23 innings.
How to Watch & Listen
Friday, June 19: Brewers TV; listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ in Milwaukee)
Saturday, June 20: Brewers TV; listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ in Milwaukee)
Sunday, June 21: Brewers TV; listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ in Milwaukee)
Prediction
This will be a fun series featuring a few high-profile pitching matchups, two solid offenses, and two division-leading squads. I’ll give the Braves home-field advantage as they take two of three.
