Newly acquired right-hander Lance McCullers Jr. will pitch out of the bullpen for the Milwaukee Brewers as the team with the second-best record in the majors manages a rash of rotation injuries. The Brewers reinstated McCullers from the 15-day injured list Friday and optioned reliever Jared Koenig to Triple-A Nashville. Milwaukee acquired McCullers and left-hander Colton Gordon from the Houston Astros on Wednesday for outfield prospect Jadyn Fielder.

McCullers, 32, waived his no-trade clause, citing the Brewers' winning culture and World Series aspirations. He is 53-40 with a 3.85 ERA over 154 games, was an All-Star in 2017, and helped Houston win titles in 2017 and 2022. He missed 2019 after Tommy John surgery and all of 2024 following June 2023 surgery, then landed on the IL in mid-May with right shoulder inflammation. He consulted Josh Hader and Logan Henderson before accepting the trade.

Milwaukee's 3.48 ERA ranks second in MLB, but the rotation is depleted. All-Star Jacob Misiorowski was skipped before the break and may return Monday against the Mets. Two-time All-Star Brandon Woodruff is on the 60-day IL with a new anterior capsule injury; manager Pat Murphy called the outlook "not good." Left-hander Kyle Harrison is also on the 15-day IL with forearm tightness.