Brewers All-Star youngster Jacob Misiorowski looked like he might be flirting with history on Friday night in Washington, D.C, but things abruptly changed. Misiorowski had a no-hitter going with one out in the sixth inning and, after throwing a first-pitch strike to Nationals All-Star James Wood, was pulled from the game with what the team called a right hamstring cramp.
It was Misiorowski's 85th pitch and came on the heels of four consecutive strikeouts. Immediately after the pitch to Wood, Misiorowski motioned to the dugout and manager Pat Murphy, along with a Brewers trainer, came to the mound. After a brief chat, Misiorowski was removed from the game with what appeared to be an injury. Later, the Brewers clarified it was just a cramp.
"We're very hopeful," said Murphy afterward (via the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel), noting that the removal was to prevent further cramping.
He finished the outing with no runs and no hits allowed in 5 ⅓ innings with eight strikeouts with the Brewers leading 4-0. That's the type of start that usually leads to celebration, and an injury could have cast a pall over the rest of the game. Fortunately, Misiorowski seems to have avoided anything serious, allowing the Brewers to breathe a sigh of relief on the heels of Brandon Woodruff, another All-Star starting pitcher, leaving his Thursday start in the second inning due to severely decreased velocity. He was placed on the injured list on Friday due to shoulder inflammation. Woodruff had shoulder surgery a few years ago. He missed all but 11 starts in 2023, all of 2024 and all but 12 starts last season.
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Misiorowski has looked like an ace so far this season and Woodruff has been one before. Past those two, the Brewers already have Kyle Harrison, Chad Patrick, and Brandon Sproat in the rotation, while Quinn Priester is on a minor-league rehab assignment, and Logan Henderson is in the minors, yet has shown himself capable of being a big-league starter.
Milwaukee has the depth here, but injuries to Woodruff and Misiorowski on back-to-back days would have really hurt.
The Brewers had the best record in baseball in the regular season last year. Entering Friday in 2026, they sat 16-14, which was 3.5 games out of first place in the NL Central.
