Brewers' Devin Williams: Option declined, still with Milwaukee
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The Brewers declined Williams' $10 million club option for 2025 on Sunday, though he remains in the organization and is entering his final year of arbitration eligibility, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.
The right-hander is estimated to make a bit less through the arbitration process, so Milwaukee will pay the $250,000 buyout while targeting a slightly lower salary. Williams didn't debut in 2024 until late July due to a back injury -- which is why his estimated salary for 2025 should be under $10 million -- but he was again one of the best closers in baseball once healthy with a 1.25 ERA, 0.97 WHIP and 38:11 K:BB across 21.2 innings. He's a candidate to be moved during the offseason, as Brewers GM Matt Arnold said the organization will "stay open-minded" regarding a potential trade, per Adam McCalvy of MLB.com.
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Brewers' Devin Williams: Up to 14 saves
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Williams earned the save in Thursday's 5-2 win over Pittsburgh, allowing one hit while striking out one in a scoreless ninth inning.
Williams worked around a Nick Gonzales one-out double to secure his 14th save this season. The 30-year-old Williams has held opponents scoreless in his last 12 appearances (12 innings) while securing nine consecutive saves -- he's allowed just four hits while striking out 22 in that span. Overall, Willliams' ERA is down to 1.31 on the year with a 0.97 WHIP and 38:10 K:BB across 20.2 innings.
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Brewers' Devin Williams: Picks up 13th save
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Williams struck out two and issued a walk in a scoreless ninth inning to earn the save Sunday against the Diamondbacks.
The right-hander issued a seven-pitch walk to open the frame but retired the next three batters on 14 pitches to close out the one-run victory. It was Williams' first save opportunity since Sept. 13 as Milwaukee has skidded a bit since clinching the NL Central, but he's now converted eight straight save chances and has a 21:5 K:BB without giving up a run in his past 11 outings.
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Brewers' Devin Williams: Fans two for 11th save
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Williams picked up the save over the Giants on Thursday, allowing two hits over a scoreless ninth inning while striking out two.
Williams struck out Matt Chapman on three straight pitches after taking the mound in the bottom of the ninth with a three-run lead. However, he would then allow back-to-back hits, including a double to put the game-tying run on base. The right-hander was able to retire the next two batters to record his 11th save of the campaign and his third in the month of September. Williams has also posted multiple strikeouts in six consecutive appearances, posting a 13:3 K:BB over that stretch. He's still yet to allow a run this month.
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Brewers' Devin Williams: Earns save Tuesday
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Williams earned a save against the Giants on Tuesday, allowing a hit and a walk while striking out two during a scoreless ninth inning.
Williams worked around a base hit and a walk in the inning with two strikeouts and a pop out to put the Giants away for his 10th save of the year. He's now working on seven straight scoreless appearances and has struck out 11 of the 20 batters he's faced over his last five outings. For the year, Williams has a 1.72 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and 29:9 K:BB in 15.2 innings.
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Brewers' Devin Williams: Shaky in eighth save
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Williams walked two and hit one batter in a scoreless and hitless inning, adding two strikeouts to earn the save in Saturday's 5-4 win over the Reds.
Williams has allowed multiple baserunners in three of his last five outings, but he was able to escape a bases-loaded jam of his own making in Saturday's win. The right-hander is now 8-for-9 in save chances this year. He's pitched to a 2.31 ERA, but a 1.20 WHIP and eight walks over 11.2 innings show he's not quite all the way back from a command standpoint. Williams has also logged 20 strikeouts and doesn't appear to be at much risk of ceding closing duties back to Trevor Megill.
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Brewers' Devin Williams: Hangs on for 10th-inning save
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Williams earned the save in a 5-4 win over the Reds in the opening game of Friday's doubleheader, walking one while logging a strikeout in a scoreless 10th inning.
After Milwaukee took a one-run lead in the top of the 10th inning, Williams quickly recorded the first two outs in the bottom of the frame. He'd allow the phantom runner to reach third base on a wild pitch before issuing a two-out walk, but Williams managed to get Ty France to fly out to pick up his seventh save. The right-hander has converted back-to-back save chances after allowing two runs on three walks in a blown save against St. Louis last week. Overall, Williams sports a 2.53 ERA with 1.13 WHIP and 18:6 K:BB through 10.2 innings this season.
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Brewers' Devin Williams: Nursing left shoulder soreness
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Brewers manager Pat Murphy said Williams was unavailable to pitch Sunday against the Athletics due to left shoulder soreness, Bally Sports Wisconsin reports.
Murphy said that Williams felt a "pinch" in his non-throwing shoulder when he woke up Sunday morning, likely a result of sleeping on it wrong. Williams attempted to play catch prior to Sunday's game, but he was sore and "just didn't look right," per Murphy, who declared his closer off limits for the day. It sounds like a day-to-day type injury, but it's not yet clear whether Williams will be available for Tuesday's series opener versus the Giants. Trevor Megill would likely fill in as closer if Williams is not ready.
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Brewers' Devin Williams: Takes first blown save
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Williams allowed two runs on one hit, three walks and a hit batsman while striking out two over two-thirds of an inning to take a blown save in Wednesday's 10-6 extra-inning loss to the Cardinals.
Williams was shaky in earning a save Tuesday, and he was even worse Wednesday. He threw just 12 of his 31 pitches for strikes, and two of his three walks came with the bases loaded. Trevor Megill was able to escape the ninth inning with a groundout, but he would up surrendering a walk-off grand slam in the 10th to complete the Brewers' collapse. Williams is now at a 3.12 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 16:5 K:BB through 8.2 innings this season while converting five of his six save opportunities.
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Brewers' Devin Williams: Perfect inning for save
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Williams pitched a perfect inning to earn the save in Saturday's 2-1 win over the Guardians.
Williams failed to log a strikeout for the first time in his seven appearances this season. It was still a tidy save for the right-hander, who got the heart of Cleveland's order out on three straight groundouts. Williams has allowed one run -- on a solo home run versus Atlanta on Aug. 7 -- while earning four saves and posting an 11:1 K:BB over seven innings. All of his saves have been over his last four appearances, including three over the last four days, so it's safe to say Williams is back to being locked in as Milwaukee's closer.
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Brewers' Devin Williams: Records another save
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Williams earned a save against the Dodgers on Thursday, striking out two batters in a perfect ninth inning.
Williams was called upon to close the door on the Dodgers for the second straight day, and he again succeeded in impressive fashion. On Wednesday, he retired Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman in order, and he bested Ohtani and Betts -- both on strikeouts -- again Thursday. Williams has been as brilliant as ever since returning from a back injury July 28, recording three saves while allowing just one run and posting an 11:1 K:BB over six innings spanning six appearances.
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Brewers' Devin Williams: Picks up second save
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Williams picked up the save over the Dodgers on Wednesday, pitching a perfect ninth inning while striking out one.
Williams entered the contest with a one-run lead in the ninth and needed only seven pitches to retire the side and secure his second save of the season. The right-hander has now pitched perfect innings in each of his first two save appearances, posting a 4:0 K:BB over that span. Williams has also walked just one batter in his first five outings and has quickly re-established himself as Milwaukee's closer for the stretch run.
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Brewers' Devin Williams: Notches first save of season
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Williams earned a save against the Reds on Saturday, striking out all three batters he faced in the ninth inning.
Williams was activated from the injured list July 28 and had to wait nearly two weeks to get his first save chance. The right-hander's opportunity Saturday wasn't an easy one, as he faced the heart of Cincinnati's order with just a one-run lead. Williams wasn't phased by any pressure, as he struck out the side on 18 pitches. Trevor Megill was excellent as Milwaukee's closer during most of the time Williams was out and is approaching a return from a back injury, but he's going to slide back into a setup role upon his activation. Williams has already shown that he's back in fine form, allowing just one run over four innings while posting an 8:1 K:BB through four outings.
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Brewers' Devin Williams: Won't pitch back-to-back days
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Brewers manager Pat Murphy said Monday that he will not use Williams in back-to-back days for the time being, Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.
Williams made his season debut with the Brewers on Sunday against the Marlins after recovering from multiple stress fractures in his back, working around one hit and one walk to toss a scoreless frame. That means Williams will unavailable Monday against Atlanta should a save chance arise. With Trevor Megill (back) landing on the injured list Monday, Joel Payamps, Hoby Milner and Elvis Peguero could be in the mix for some opportunities on days Williams is unavailable.
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Brewers' Devin Williams: Ready for season debut
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The Brewers activated Williams (back) from the 60-day injured list ahead of Sunday's game against the Marlins, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.
The 29-year-old is ready for his 2024 MLB debut after missing the first four months of the campaign while recovering from a pair of stress fractures in his back. Williams delivered four scoreless frames with a 6:2 K:BB during his four-game rehab assignment. It's possible the right-hander is eased into high-leverage spots early on, but he should fully reclaim closing duties from Trevor Megill in short order.
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Brewers' Devin Williams: Activation on horizon
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Brewers GM Matt Arnold said Friday that Williams (back) is expected to be activated from the 60-day injured list "in the next few days" after one additional rehab appearance, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.
The right-hander has delivered three scoreless appearances in his minor-league rehab assignment, and he'll need just one more outing before being cleared to rejoin the Brewers. Williams has been sidelined for the first four months of the season due to a pair of stress fractures in his back, but he's now on the cusp of his 2024 MLB debut. The right-hander could be eased into high-leverage spots early on, but it likely won't take long for him to take over closing duties from Trevor Megill.
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Brewers' Devin Williams: Moving rehab to Triple-A
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Williams (back) will appear in a rehab game at Triple-A Nashville on Saturday, Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.
Williams was outstanding in his first rehab appearance, striking out all three batters he faced last Saturday at High-A Wisconsin. He'll now move up to Nashville in order to face some tougher competition, and he may return to the Brewers' bullpen before the end of the month if he continues to dominate.
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Brewers' Devin Williams: Dazzles in first rehab outing
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Williams (back) struck out all three batters he faced in a perfect inning during his rehab appearance Sunday with High-A Wisconsin.
Williams has been on the shelf all season while recovering from a pair of stress fractures in his back, but he didn't exhibit any signs of rust in his first game action of 2024. He needed just 14 pitches to strike out the side and generated four swings-and-misses during his brief time on the mound. The Brewers may have Williams shift his rehab assignment to Double-A Biloxi or Triple-A Nashville for a tougher test following the All-Star break, but the right-hander may not require too many more tune-up outings in the minors if he continues to look as sharp as he did Sunday. Williams should eventually supplant Trevor Megill as the Brewers' preferred option to close games once he's reinstated from the 60-day injured list.
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Brewers' Devin Williams: Live BP up next
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Williams (back) is scheduled to throw live batting practice Tuesday at American Family Field, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.
Williams began throwing off a mound in late June, and it didn't take long for him to be cleared to face live hitters. The right-hander will require a minor-league rehab assignment before being reinstated from the 60-day injured list, though it's unclear how many outings he might need. The Brewers have been eyeing the July 30 trade deadline as a general target date for Williams' return.
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Brewers' Devin Williams: Will throw from mound this week
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Williams (back) will throw a bullpen session Wednesday in Milwaukee, MLB.com reports.
Williams is poised for the next big milestone in his recovery from multiple stress fractures in his back, which have kept him sidelined him for the entirety of the 2024 campaign to this point. If the 29-year-old can avoid any setbacks, he remains on track to return to the Brewers bullpen in late July, likely after the All-Star break. Williams will likely need to complete multiple bullpen sessions before advancing to facing hitters and then heading out on what will likely be a lengthy minor-league rehab assignment.
