Series Preview: Milwaukee Brewers @ Washington Nationals

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TL;DR

The Milwaukee Brewers face the Washington Nationals after being swept by them earlier this season. Both teams are dealing with injuries but have shown recent improvements in their performance.

Key points

Brewers were swept by Nationals earlier this season
Brewers have 16-14 record, Nationals at 15-17
Injuries affecting both teams' rosters
Brewers have shown recent offensive improvements

Milwaukee BrewersWashington Nationals

Apr 11, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Washington Nationals shortstop Nasim Nunez (26) scores from first base against the Milwaukee Brewers in the ninth inning at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images | Michael McLoone-Imagn Images The Milwaukee Brewers are back on the road, as they’ll face their first repeat opponent of the season in the Washington Nationals. Three weekends ago, the Brewers were swept by the Nationals at home, as they stretched their losing streak to five after being outscored 18-10 over the three-game set. They’ll look to avoid a repeat of that series this weekend in Washington, D.C. Since that sweep a few weeks ago, the Brewers have gone 8-7, with series wins over the Blue Jays, Marlins, and D-backs but series losses to the Tigers and Pirates. They sit at 16-14 on the season. On the other side, Washington has gone 8-9, with series wins over the White Sox and Mets, series losses to the Braves and Giants, and a four-game split with the Pirates. They sit at 15-17 on the season. Since that last series, the Brewers have lost a few more key players to injury. Christian Yelich went down in the series finale against Washington, and he’s still shelved with a groin strain. Pitchers Angel Zerpa and both went down this week, as Zerpa is reportedly expected to miss a big chunk of time with forearm tightness, and Woodruff exited his start early with diminished velocity — it’s unknown at this time if there’s an injury, but regardless, there’s cause for concern. and are both on rehab assignments with Triple-A Nashville, and the Brewers expect them to return to the team on Monday in . , , and are also out, with Priester the closest to returning as he’s also on a rehab assignment. Washington’s IL is filled with pitchers, as they’re without , , , , , , Travis Sykora, and . All of those players are out for extended periods, with Beeter likely the first one back. He went on the IL earlier this week as he deals with forearm soreness, but MRI results revealed no structural damage, and the team expects a mid- to late-May return. While the Brewers still haven’t found a true power stroke over the last couple of weeks, the team found a way to score 13 runs on both Tuesday and Thursday in wins over . leads the offense with a .291/.422/.505 line, with four homers, eight doubles, 20 RBIs, 26 runs, and seven steals. , , , , , and the recently recalled have also been key contributors of late. and have both shown flashes of potential in the last week, and Greg Jones, , , and round out the active roster. As a team, the Brewers are hitting .241/.338/.364 (.702 OPS ranks 20th), with 22 homers (28th), 160 runs (sixth), and 36 steals (tied for first). The young Nationals lineup is paced by and . Wood leads the team with 10 homers and seven doubles this year, while Abrams leads in most other categories, as he’s hitting .296/.405/.556 with eight homers, four doubles, 26 RBIs, 16 runs, and five steals. , , , , , Luis García, and Nasim Nuñez round out the regulars for Washington, with , , José Tena, and providing depth. Of note: Wiemer is still hitting .327/.413/.582 over 23 games, partially maintaining his numbers after that red-hot start. As a team, the Nats are hitting .243/.325/.393 (.718 OPS ranks 12th), with 37 homers (tied for 10th), 175 runs (second), and 32 steals (tied for fourth). For Milwaukee, , , , , and are part of the “winning” bullpen, with Anderson leading the team in appearances and Ashby and Hall leading in ERA. Ashby also leads the bullpen with 30 strikeouts, which ranks tied for second on the team (along with ) behind only . After the Zerpa injury, the rest of the Brewer bullpen features and youngsters and Brian Fitzpatrick (who I just learned I share a birthday with). As a staff, the Brewers have a 3.74 team ERA (sixth), including a 3.70 starter ERA (seventh) and a 3.78 bullpen ERA (10th). They’ve struck out 281 batters (tied for seventh) over 267 1/3 innings. leads the Nationals with 16 appearances this season, though that includes four “starts,” as he has a 4.11 ERA over 15 1/3 innings. Washington doesn’t have a conventional closer, as leads the team with three saves, but Beeter has a pair of saves, and and also have a save apiece. Longtime Oriole has struggled with the Nats, pitching to a 7.07 ERA over 14 innings. , Schultz, and have been solid, but (4.76 ERA) and (8.53 ERA) have struggled. As a staff, the Nationals have a 5.08 team ERA (29th), including a 5.33 starter ERA (28th) and a 4.90 bullpen ERA (23rd). They’ve struck out 249 batters (tied for 21st) over 289 innings.

Q&A

What was the outcome of the last series between the Brewers and Nationals?

The Brewers were swept by the Nationals in their last series, losing all three games.

Which key players are injured for the Brewers and Nationals?

The Brewers are missing Christian Yelich, Angel Zerpa, and Brandon Woodruff, while the Nationals have several pitchers on the IL, including Clayton Beeter and Josiah Gray.

How have the Brewers performed since their last series against the Nationals?

Since the last series, the Brewers have gone 8-7, achieving series wins against the Blue Jays, Marlins, and D-backs.

Who are the standout players for the Brewers and Nationals this season?

Brice Turang leads the Brewers with a strong offensive performance, while CJ Abrams and James Wood are key players for the Nationals.