Major League Baseball

Brewers closer Devin Williams reportedly out with stress fractures in back

Updated Mar. 14, 2024 9:05 a.m. ET

The Milwaukee Brewers will likely be without All-Star closer Devin Williams for the first half of the 2024 season due to multiple fractures in his back, according to an ESPN report.

The report, which was later confirmed by Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports, said that Williams had been diagnosed with a pair of stress fractures in his back. He is not expected to require surgery, but will not be allowed to throw for six weeks, followed by a slow buildup to get back into shape.

According to ESPN, Williams experienced back issues last September but pitched through them with his team in playoff contention. The issues returned in spring training, and when Williams noticed that back pain was impacting his pitching mechanics, he decided to undergo an MRI. The imaging revealed stress fractures on both sides of Williams' back, according to ESPN.

Williams, 29, has been an All-Star in each of the last two seasons and finished 19th in NL MVP voting following the 2023 campaign. The 2020 NL Rookie of the Year, Williams has 54 saves, including a career-best 36 in 2023. He has 337 strikeouts and a 1.89 ERA in 214 innings across four-plus seasons.

The Brewers are coming off a 92-70 season in which they won the NL Central, but were swept 2-0 by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the NL Wild Card round. Williams' injury could be a significant blow to a team that has already lost All-Star starting pitcher Brandon Woodruff for the season to a shoulder injury and traded All-Star starter Corbin Burnes to Baltimore.