Brewers dump former Cubs draft pick before he even gets chance to earn playoff role

With under two weeks left in the regular season, and already having clinched the National League Central crown for the a fourth-consecutive season, the Milwaukee Brewers are in a position to take things easy with their pitching staff before the start of the playoffs. While that could lead to fringe pitchers getting a chance over the next week, it won't lead to an opportunity for former Chicago Cubs second-round pick Rob Zastryzny.

Zastryzny's 2026 season has mostly been washed away due to injury, but he was on a minor-league rehab assignment before being designated for assignment on Thursday. The move creates an opening the Brewers' 40-man roster, but likely speaks to the discouraging metrics surrounding his minor-league outings this season.

Over the last two years, the former Cubs farmhand did flash signs of potentially becoming an effective option in Milwaukee's bullpen, but injuries made him an afterthoguht this season.

Former Cubs draft pick's Brewers stint ends before he can even fight for postseason role

While he posted a 3.27 ERA through 11 innings pitched this season, the impression was that Zastryzny couldn't shake the shoulder/back issues that have plagued him throughout the year. Not to mention, there was a noticeable dip in his velocity. While the Brewers are never the organization to turn down pitching, especially if said pitcher could be a surprise during the playoffs, there wasn't a compelling case for him to be added to a playoff roster.

Given those factors, it's hard to imagine many teams would make Zastryzny on the waiver wire over the next 48 hours. He's out of minor-league options, and for contending teams, he wouldn't have postseason eligibility, considering he wasn't on a team's 40-man roster at the start of September. For a non-playoff time, it could be an upside play due to his team control beyond this season.

Along those lines, as the Cubs' bullpen has struggled over the past few weeks, Craig Counsell has insisted that the answers will need to come from the pitchers already with the organization. That's partially tied to the fact that any pitcher added from outside of the organization at this point wouldn't be able to pitch for the Cubs in October.

That doesn't mean the Cubs don't have any potential reinforcements for the bullpen. Gavin Hollowell is currently on a minor-league assignment, and threw in a simulated game on Wednesday at Wrigley Field. Hollowell would likely be near the top of the list in terms of pitchers who can be added to the roster with the chance of helping the bullpen during the playoffs.

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