Brewers continue trying to address their starting rotation by acquiring RHP Aaron Civale from Rays

Updated Jul. 3, 2024 7:10 p.m. ET

Associated Press

The Milwaukee Brewers acquired veteran right-hander Aaron Civale from the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday in the NL Central leaders' latest attempt to boost a starting rotation that’s been decimated by injuries.

The Brewers sent promising minor league infielder Gregory Barrios to Tampa Bay, which assigned him to Class-A Bowling Green, and designated right-hander Taylor Clarke for assignment to make room for Civale on the 40-man roster.

The 29-year-old Civale has gone 2-6 with a 5.07 ERA in 17 starts this season, though he has been better of late, pitching to a 3.82 ERA over his last seven outings. He was 7-5 with a 3.46 ERA in 23 starts for Cleveland and Tampa Bay last year.

Civale owns a 33-32 record with a 4.10 ERA in 103 career starts. He will be arbitration eligible after the season and is under club control through 2025.

The 20-year-old Barrios was batting .325 with a .367 on-base percentage, one homer, 34 RBIs and 18 steals in 61 games at the Class-A level. He provides Tampa Bay with some organization depth in the lower level of the minor leagues.

In other moves Wednesday, the Brewers placed third baseman Joey Ortiz on the 10-day injured list, placed right-hander Enoli Paredes on the 15-day injured list and recalled infielder Vinny Capra and right-hander Janson Junk from Triple-A Nashville.

Ortiz has neck inflammation and Paredes has right forearm tendinitis. Ortiz's assignment is retroactive to Tuesday.

The Rays filled Civale's spot on the roster by recalling right-hander Justin Sterner from Triple-A Durham. He made his big league debut earlier this season, appearing in two games for Tampa Bay and allowing one earned run over four innings.

The addition of Civale comes eight days after the Brewers acquired left-hander Dallas Keuchel from the Seattle Mariners. The 2015 AL Cy Young winner has no record with a 6.75 ERA in two starts with Milwaukee.

The Brewers entered Wednesday with a six-game lead in the NL Central, despite getting just 406 total innings from its starting pitchers, the second-lowest total of any major league team. The San Francisco Giants have gotten 402 innings.

Fifteen different pitchers have started games for the Brewers, the highest number for any MLB team.

Milwaukee traded 2021 NL Cy Young Award winner Corbin Burnes to the Baltimore Orioles before the season, and the club knew going into the year that two-time All-Star Brandon Woodruff wouldn’t pitch at all while recovering from shoulder surgery.

Wade Miley and Robert Gasser have undergone Tommy John surgery and will miss the rest of this season. Other Brewers pitchers on the injured list include starters Joe Ross (lower back) and DL Hall (left knee), two-time All-Star closer Devin Williams (back) and relievers Jared Koenig (left forearm) and JB Bukauskas (right lat).

___

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB