Brewers turn to Logan Henderson in finale of 5-game set vs. Cards

Right-hander Logan Henderson is expected to come off the injured list for the Milwaukee Brewers and start in the finale of their five-game series against the host St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday night.

Henderson (2-1, 2.74 ERA) last pitched for the Brewers on May 22, when the rookie gave up two hits over five scoreless innings in a 5-1 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Four days later, the 24-year-old landed on the 15-day injured list with a lower back strain.

Henderson, the No. 7 prospect in the Brewers' organization per MLB Pipeline, has pitched effectively in 10 major league starts since April 2025. Ahead of facing the Cardinals for the first time, he owns a 5-1 record with a 2.23 ERA and 63 strikeouts in 48 1/3 innings.

His return will come at a time in which a couple of other Brewers starters are ailing. On Wednesday, the team revealed an MRI exam found that Brandon Woodruff had re-injured a shoulder he had surgically repaired in 2023. He went on the injured list after leaving Saturday's start in Arizona after 3 2/3 innings.

Kyle Harrison, the starter in Wednesday's 5-1 loss to the Cardinals, threw just four innings in the defeat. Manager Pat Murphy said the left-hander felt some soreness.

"We're going to protect these young starters," Murphy said after the game.

The Brewers endured their worst offensive game since being shut out against the San Francisco Giants on June 3. Wednesday's lineup did not include regular starters Sal Frelick, who pinch hit in the game, and Brice Turang.

Turang, the team's second baseman who has started 87 of Milwaukee's 92 games, last got a day off on June 14. In eight games this month, he's hitting .333 (12-for-36) with six doubles, four runs and six RBIs.

"My whole gist of today was, rest Turang," Murphy said. "He's played a lot of baseball, and he would never ask for the day, but we're going to give him that day."

The Cardinals, whose victory Wednesday snapped their four-game skid and the Brewers' four-game winning streak, will send Andre Pallante (10-5, 3.60 ERA) to the mound on Thursday. The right-hander has won five of his last six starts, including last Friday's 17-1 rout in Chicago. He blanked the Cubs for 5 2/3 innings, allowing five hits, striking out two and walking one.

Pallante has struggled against the Brewers. In 16 games (four starts), the 27-year-old is 0-3 with a 5.45 ERA.

Alec Burleson carried the big bat for St. Louis in Wednesday's game, going 2-for-4 with a double and a home run. In his previous 13 games, the first baseman was hitting .186 (8-for-43) with a homer, six RBIs and nine strikeouts.

More importantly, Burleson's production in the win came against left-handed pitchers. This season, Burleson is hitting just .194 with two homers and 18 RBIs against them.

"We've talked about Burly left-on-left, and he's working really hard at it," Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said.

After winning the first three games of this series, Milwaukee already has claimed this week's set and the season series by winning seven of the first nine games.

--Field Level Media