​PITTSBURGH – Miz vs. Skenes Round II will have to wait. The Milwaukee Brewers are skipping Jacob Misiorowski’s turn in the rotation on the final day before the All-Star break, choosing to give their ace as much rest as possible while he works through what the team is calling a small bout of fatigue. Robert Gasser will start in Misiorowski’s place against Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Paul Skenes in a series finale on July 12 at PNC Park, a matchup that now lacks the shine it carried earlier.
Misiorowski’s status for the All-Star Game on July 14 remains unchanged: he will attend the festivities next week in Philadelphia but will not pitch. “A little forearm stuff,” Misiorowski said. “Nothing crazy. Just didn’t bounce back. A little quick on the days off between but nothing crazy. We also have this long break.” Misiorowski last pitched on July 7 in St. Louis, delivering seven innings with 11 strikeouts and no walks.
The Brewers explained that Misiorowski simply didn’t feel great after that start, which marked his third appearance on four days’ rest this season. The Pittsburgh assignment would have been the first instance of Misiorowski working back-to-back on four days’ rest all year, a factor that weighed into the decision to rest him. “He didn’t recover well,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said. “His arm doesn’t feel great. His body doesn’t feel great. There’s no imaging or anything like that going on. We’re just giving him a rest. We need some time away from throwing right now.”
Managing Misiorowski’s innings—and by extension, his health in the Brewers’ view— sits at the heart of the choice. Misiorowski has logged a heavy workload up to the break, totaling 111 innings, already nearing his career high of 141⅓ innings (including playoffs) set last year. With that in mind, while Misiorowski expects to take the ball on his next turn through the rotation, there’s no guarantee he’ll pitch the first game back. “He’s had a big load,” Murphy said. “We’re making the decision to give him a break. His throwing program today was a little clunky. We didn’t like what we saw, and we’re going to hold him out.”
The decision also reflects a broader emphasis on innings management and long-term health for a young pitcher who has shouldered a substantial workload this season. Misiorowski’s absence from the rotation this weekend is framed as prudent rest rather than a setback, with the Brewers intent on preserving his arm through the rest of the schedule and the season.
The scheduling dynamic around the All-Star break has added another layer to the plan. There had been talk of Misiorowski taking the mound in the All-Star Game, but the Brewers never appeared eager to have him pitch in Philadelphia, which likely influenced how they mapped out the pitching rotation for the first-half finale and the break itself. For now, Misiorowski will watch from the dugout as his team navigates the next steps after the break, and Milwaukee will lean on Gasser to carry the load in Pittsburgh while they prioritize rest and recovery for their 24-year-old ace in the middle of a demanding season.