Milwaukee Brewers DVOA, Stats, & MLB Rankings

New York Yankees closer Devin Williams picked up his second save of the season in Monday's 4-1 win over the Royals. Williams came in to pitch the top of the ninth inning up by three. He allowed a leadoff single to Bobby Witt Jr., got the first out on a pop-out, allowed a walk, and got the final two outs on another pop-out and a line-out. Things have not gone smoothly for the 30-year-old in his first season with his new team, as he has converted both of his save opportunities but has a 7.20 ERA, seven strikeouts, and six walks in just five innings of work. Williams has been one of fantasy's most reliable relief pitchers throughout his career and was traded for to fill a closing void for the Yankees, so fantasy managers should remain patient with him early on.

Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich is taking a seat for Monday's series opener against the visiting Detroit Tigers at American Family Field with left-hander Tarik Skubal on the mound. Yelich will get a day of rest after starting each of the team's last 10 games. Isaac Collins will serve as the team's designated hitter on Monday night and will bat second against Skubal. Coming off offseason back surgery, Yelich does have three home runs in his first 16 games, but he's also hitting only .143 (8-for-56) in the early going with a double, 10 RBI, eight walks and 16 strikeouts in 65 plate appearances. Fantasy managers shouldn't start panicking yet, but he's been a disappointment after a very strong start in 2024. Collins is in a prime spot in the batting order but will be avoided by most DFS gamers against Skubal. The switch-hitter has gone 5-for-21 with no homers, two runs and two stolen bases so far this year.

Milwaukee Brewers catcher William Contreras connected on a two-run home run in the first inning off of Diamondbacks right-hander Zac Gallen, but the Brew Crew dropped the series finale in Arizona by a score of 5-2. Contreras went 2-for-4 with two RBI in the defeat and is now hitting .222 (12-for-54) with a pair of doubles, three home runs, and a .329 wOBA through his first 15 games. The 27-year-old catcher is one of the most reliable bats at the position, although his hard-hit rate and barrel rate have dipped in the early part of the season. Hopefully, Sunday's home run is the start of a turnaround in that trend. After a 3-3 road trip last week, Contreras and the Brewers are back home to start this week with a three-game series against the Tigers that begins on Monday night in Milwaukee.

Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Brandon Woodruff (shoulder) made his first rehab start with Triple-A Nashville on Saturday. This was the first time that Woodruff has been on the mound since having shoulder surgery last year. He tossed 3 2/3 innings, allowing two earned runs, and striking out five batters. He threw 66 pitches and 44 of them for strikes as he topped out at 95.1 mph on his fastball. The 32-year-old will likely still need to make a few more rehab appearances before rejoining the Brewers rotation. The hope is that Woodruff can return to the big league rotation by the end of April or early May.

Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Colin Rea is likely to take the mound against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday, according to manager Craig Counsell. The Cubs are looking to fill a void in the starting rotation with Justin Steele (elbow) landing on the injured list. This team is also without Javier Assad (forearm) so Rea seems to be the most logical next choice. Rea has made three appearances out of the bullpen for the Cubs, but could be a short term option in the rotation. He registered a 4.29 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, and 135/43 K/BB ratio across 32 games (27 starts) with the Milwaukee Brewers last season. Rea could be a viable rotational piece, but isn't someone to be considered a strong streaming option against the Dodgers lineup.