Brewers’ Logan Henderson Records Nine Strikeouts Over Six Innings of One-Run Ball in MLB Debut
While these first few weeks have been challenging for the Milwaukee Brewers, particularly on the injury front, rookie right-hander Logan Henderson was a beacon of hope for a rotation that badly needed it on Sunday.
Henderson, called up from Triple-A Nashville on Tuesday for his major league debut, made his first career start in the series finale against the Athletics and helped pave the way for a 14-1 victory. He punched out nine across six innings, allowing just one run – a solo shot from Seth Brown – on three hits and a walk.
The 23-year-old righty threw 83 pitches, landing 53 for strikes, while almost exclusively using his four-seamer and changeup – a one-two combo that consumed 77 of his 83 pitches and induced 13 whiffs on 39 swings (33.3%). But he also occasionally mixed in his cutter and slider, throwing those two offerings six times combined.
Pitching off a mound at American Family Field for the first time, Henderson – the organization’s No. 12 prospect per MLB Pipeline – said he had 15-20 friends and family in attendance who watched him carve through the A’s lineup.
“I don’t know if I can sum it up yet,” Henderson told reporters of his first big-league start, including MLB.com’s Ryan Herrera. “I mean, I’m just super thankful, man. It’s an accumulation of a lot of hard work and a lot of people that have believed in me.”
Henderson began this season at Triple-A, pitching to a 3.21 ERA in 14 innings over his first three starts. In that span, the young hurler registered an impressive 24 strikeouts, although he often battled with his command, resulting in 10 walks allowed.
But he was in the driver’s seat throughout his six innings of work with the Brewers, as he consistently attacked the strike zone with all four of his pitches. However, it also helped that he received plenty of run support from the offence, including a four-run first inning, knowing he could be aggressive without the fear of making a mistake in a close score.
Brewers manager Pat Murphy praised Henderson’s efforts while speaking to reporters post-game, saying, “That’s the best I’ve ever seen him throw.”
The fourth-round selection from 2021 was initially sent to Milwaukee’s bullpen upon arriving, offering relief (if needed) for a group stretched thin earlier in the week. A few days later, though, he was tabbed the starter for Sunday’s finale versus the A’s.
“That was when I really could soak it in and just watch the best baseball in the world from the dugout,” Henderson said. “The guys have been super welcoming, and I feel comfortable.”
By all accounts, Henderson has certainly earned another start with the Brewers following his memorable debut. Whether or not he’ll receive one, though, remains uncertain.
Milwaukee currently lists seven starting pitchers on the injured list, including Aaron Ashby (strained oblique), Aaron Civale (strained hamstring), Nestor Cortes (strained elbow flexor), Robert Gasser (Tommy John surgery), DL Hall (strained lat), Tobias Myers (strained oblique), and Brandon Woodruff (shoulder surgery).
But the club expects one of those injured starters to re-enter the fold later this week, with Myers scheduled to start Thursday in San Francisco against the Giants. Therefore, unless they plan to carry six starters or move one to the ‘pen, someone will soon lose their spot in the rotation.
If that ends up being Henderson, he’ll likely return to Triple-A with a fresh dose of confidence and assurance that he’s firmly on management’s radar if another need arises this summer.
-Thomas Hall
Twitter: @Hall_Thomas_
Photo: Michael Barera. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.