WASHINGTON (AP) — Jacob Misiorowski's bid for a no-hitter quickly faded as the biggest news for the Milwaukee Brewers' 6-foot-7 right-hander when a hamstring injury forced him to leave Friday night's 6-1 win at Washington.
Misiorowski worked 5 1/3 innings hitless innings with eight strikeouts and two walks before leaving the game due to a right hamstring cramp. The 24-year-old Misiorowski departed after throwing a 98.9 mph fastball to James Wood.
After delivering the pitch, Misiorowski caught the return throw from catcher William Contreras and then walked off the mound and looked toward the Milwaukee dugout. Following a discussion on the mound with manager Pat Murphy and trainer Brad Epstein, Misiorowski left the field.
“Just a hamstring cramp," Misiorowski said. "Didn’t want to push through it. Thought better to turn it over to the bullpen and let (Aaron Ashby) handle it.”
The Brewers hope Misiorowski avoided a serious injury.
“We feel pretty good about it," Murphy told reporters after the game. "We’re not going to test it right now because we’re afraid he might cramp again. We’ll see where he is tomorrow. We’re very hopeful. He feels good about it. Hopeful that’s all it was.”
Misiorowski said he felt discomfort in the hamstring from the start of the sixth inning.
“Probably about the last warmup pitch and then that whole first batter I had it," Misiorowski said. "It didn’t really get terrible until that first pitch to Wood, and then it really grabbed. One of those things.”
Ashby replaced Misiorowski. Daylen Lile's double to left field off Ashby with one out in the seventh broke up the combined no-hitter. Milwaukee left fielder Blake Perkins made a a diving attempt to catch Lile’s double.
Misiorowski’s 43 pitches of 100 mph or more was third-highest since tracking began in 2008. He trailed only 47 by Cincinnati’s Hunter Greene at St. Louis on Sept. 17, 2022, and 44 by Greene against Pittsburgh on March 30, 2023.
The injury scare with Misiorowski came after the Brewers placed Brandon Woodruff on the 15-day injured list with right shoulder inflammation. Woodruff left Thursday night's game after 1 1/3 innings when a reduction in his velocity caused concern. Right-hander Quinn Priester hasn’t pitched yet this year due to thoracic outlet syndrome.
Murphy said it's always necessary to prepare for injuries, especially with pitchers.
“You expect the full catastrophe every year – everything’s going to happen," Murphy said. "I’m really hopeful that it’s not that. Again, every year it gets around to the full catastrophe, not usually by May 1st.”
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