JB

Bukauskas

This is the fourth time that Bukauskas has injured the same lat, but the first time that he will be undergoing a surgical procedure on the nagging area. “It sounds weird but I’m excited,” he said. “I can see the light at the end of the tunnel and finally get it fixed.” The 28-year-old was once the closer-in-waiting for the Diamondbacks, so perhaps he can fight his way back into an MLB bullpen in 2026 if he can get his lat issue corrected.

Bukauskas had a setback during a bullpen session earlier this week. Now the 28-year-old right-hander is deciding between surgery or rehab. The former 1st-round pick by the Astros in 2017 dealt with lat issues last year, though it’s unclear if this is a new injury. A timeline for Bukauskas’ return won’t be known until he decides whether or not to have surgery, but he figures to miss at least a chunk of the season at this point.

The Brewers are not providing a lot of information right now, but we know that Bukauskas felt something during a live bullpen session on Wednesday a. The 28-year-old was a longshot to make the opening day roster, but he had once been a top prospect in the Diamondbacks organization and a former first-round pick. Injuries have continued to get in his way and, sadly, may have done so again.

Bukauskas went unclaimed after the Brewers designated the right-hander for assignment. The 28-year-old former first-round pick gives the Brewers a depth option for the 2025 campaign but not much else.

Bukauskas was placed on the injured list last year on April 14 with a right lat sprain and didn’t return to the majors. The former first-round pick could be of interest on the waiver wire for orgs looking to add depth to their pitching staff.

Bukauskus faced five batters and allowed two hits and one run. He threw 20 pitches. Bukauskus will need another outing or two in the minors before the Brewers consider letting him rejoin their bullpen.

The 27-year-old right-hander has been shelved since April 14 due to a right lat sprain, and now it looks like he’s going to be out for a while. While he’s making some progress in his recovery, he’s not close to beginning a minor league rehab assignment just yet. This was done primarily as a procedural move by the Brewers to open up a spot on their 40-man roster for Friday’s scheduled starter, Robert Gasser.

Bukauskas will miss at least two weeks of action while recovering. The 27-year-old right-hander has been replaced on the roster by Jared Koenig.

Bukauskas will join the Brewers’ active roster with Trevor Megill on the injured list with a concussion. The 27-year-old has bounced back and forth from Triple-A to the majors over the last couple seasons and will provide depth for the Brewers’ bullpen for at least the next week or so until Megill is cleared to return.

It’s an unfortunate situation for the 30-year-old. The concussion happened when Megill was at a Spectrum store on a scheduled off-day and fainted and fell. J.B. Bukauskas was called up from Nashville to fill a roster spot for Milwaukee.