Devin Williams left off Brewers’ Wild Card roster due to arm issue

Devin Williams will not suit up against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Milwaukee Brewers don’t have the best starting rotation, but they were able to wiggle into the 2020 postseason on the back of arguably the best 1-2 bullpen punch in the league in right-hander Devin Williams and All-Star lefty Josh Hader.

The combination of Williams’ filthy changeup and Hader’s wipeout slider will not be able to ride again against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the playoffs, as Williams’ health has failed him.

Jeff Passan is reporting that Williams sustained an arm injury that prompted Milwaukee to leave him off of their Wild Card roster. Considering how vital he was to their winning formula this season, Christian Yelich and the lineup just got another huge heaping of pressure slapped on them.

Devin Williams was arguably the best reliever in baseball last year

Hader is the reigning Reliever of the Year and the team’s closer, but Williams was much better this season. Williams gave up a grand total of one earned run all season, good for a 0.33 ERA. In 27 innings pitched this season, Williams gave up just eight hits while striking out 53. Given how unhittable his changeup has been this year, it’s easy to see why his rise has been so meteoric.

Yelich and the lineup should be able to do a moderate amount of damage, even against an elite rotation like the one the Dodgers will throw out on the field, but Milwaukee’s ability to put away close games just got severely undercut after Williams was taken off of the roster.

The Brewers faced an uphill battle against a very deep and very motivated Dodgers team, and trying to take them down without Williams’ mind-bending changeup is a feat that might be too great for Craig Counsell and Milwaukee to overcome.