MILWAUKEE — The Milwaukee Brewers made a move to shore up their pitching staff Wednesday, landing right-handed pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. and left-hander Colton Gordon from the Houston Astros in a trade involving outfield prospect Jadyn Fielder.
Brewers general manager Matt Arnold confirmed the deal, which also included cash coming from Houston. To make room on the 40-man roster, Milwaukee placed left-handed pitcher Rob Zastryzny on the 60-day injured list.
The Brewers entered the All-Star break sitting five games ahead in the NL Central, though they trailed the defending NL champion Los Angeles Dodgers by 1.5 games in the overall league standings.
Milwaukee boasts the second-best team ERA in the majors at 3.48, trailing only the New York Yankees, but a string of injuries to their starting pitchers pushed the front office to seek additional depth.
Two-time All-Star Brandon Woodruff remains on the 60-day injured list after an MRI revealed a new injury to the anterior capsule in his shoulder — the same area that was surgically repaired following the 2023 season. Additionally, left-hander Kyle Harrison was placed on the 15-day injured list Saturday due to tightness in his throwing forearm.
McCullers, 32, is a familiar face in Houston’s championship history, having been part of the Astros’ World Series-winning teams in both 2017 and 2022. He has spent his entire career with Houston, compiling a 53-40 record with a 3.85 ERA across 154 games. He earned an All-Star selection in 2017 but underwent Tommy John surgery in November 2018, causing him to miss the 2019 season entirely. Another surgery in June 2023 sidelined him for the remainder of that year and all of 2024.
The son of former MLB reliever Lance McCullers has struggled this season, going 2-3 with a 6.86 ERA over eight starts. Shoulder inflammation landed him on the 15-day injured list on May 19, and he has been working his way back through a rehab assignment at Triple-A Sugar Land.
Gordon, 27, made his big league debut in 2025, posting a 6-4 record with a 5.34 ERA and one save across 20 games. He has appeared in four games for Houston this season, making one start.
Fielder, 21, is the son of former Brewers first baseman Prince Fielder. He made his professional debut in 2025 and was playing at the Class A level prior to the trade.
