Devin Williams has multiple stress fractures, to miss at least three months

By: Jacob Zanolla

Awful news out of Milwaukee yesterday evening, as Devin Williams will be out for a minimum of three months.

Milwaukee Brewers star closer Devin Williams has two stress fractures in his back and is expected to miss around three months, sources tell ESPN. Williams pitched through back soreness in September, but it returned earlier this spring. He'll rehab and should return by midseason.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) March 14, 2024

As much as I may dislike the Brewers (A lot), it’s never fun to see one of the game’s best players get hurt. It was reported a few days ago that Williams was hurt, but this is probably worse than most Brewers fans expected. He had seen some doctors who said he was fine, but Williams wasn’t quite sure. Thankfully he asked for a second opinion, and those doctors noticed the stress fractures in his back. He will be involved in zero baseball activities for six weeks, and then rehab for another six. If all goes well, he should be back during the middle of June.

While this doesn’t ruin Milwaukee’s chances at the division, it certainly hurts them a lot. Williams won the NL Rookie of the Year during the 2020 shortened season, and has now made the All Star team back to back years. While he used to assist Hader, Devin has transitioned into the closer role exceptionally well. He had 36 saves in 2023, striking out 87 batters while having a 0.6 HR/9.

His best pitch is his changeup, which hitters had a measly .097 average against this past season. He threw it 57.9% of the time, producing a +14 run value and 42.2% whiff rate. The Brewers are still trying to win the division, but this could make a 2024 trade deadline sell-off way more likely. If Matt Arnold gets an enticing offer for Willy Adames or Devin Williams, he might be inclined to take it. Then again, it’s still March. There is plenty of time for their prospects (specifically Chourio) to show up and dominate, making them contenders once again.