Milwaukee Brewers closer Devin Williams of St. Louis, Missouri is projected to be out three months with two stress fractures in his back according to R.J. Anderson of CBS Sports. The injury news comes two weeks before the 2024 Major League Baseball regular season is set to begin.
Experiencing pain in 2023
According to Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Williams was dealing with a great deal of discomfort near the end of the 2023 Major League Baseball regular season. He pitched through the pain, and in the process was receiving treatment. Then when spring training got underway a month ago, Williams increased his pitching activity again, but was continuing to experience pain. The Brewers then sent Williams to Dr. Robert Watkins in Los Angeles to check Williams in person after studying his initial magnetic resonance imaging tests. The stress fractures were confirmed after the meeting.
Devin Williams in 2023
Williams was simply spectacular in 2023, as he had an earned run average under two for the third time in the last four years, and was a National League All-Star for the second straight year. In 61 games, he had a record of eight wins and three losses with an earned run average of 1.53, and 36 saves. During 58 2/3 innings pitched, Williams gave up 26 hits, 10 earned runs, four home runs, and 28 walks, to go along with 87 strikeouts, and a spectacular WHIP (walks and hits per innings pitched) of 0.92.
2020 National League Rookie of the Year
Williams won the National League Rookie of the Year during the Covid shortened 2020 season. He had a record of 4-1, with a spectacular earned run average of 0.33. Williams only gave up one earned run in 27 innings of work, and had 53 strikeouts compared to nine walks.
Who will be the interim Brewers closer?
There are two realistic possibilities. They are Joel Payamps of Santiago, Dominican Republic and Abner Uribe of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Last season, Uribe had a great earned run average of 1.76, but Payamps had an excellent strikeout to walk ratio of 4.53.
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