Milwaukee Brewers surprised fans in parking lots before Saturday’s game
Who doesn’t like surprises?! Before Saturday’s game, Brewers players and coaches hopped on golf carts and drove through the parking lot of American Family Field to surprise fans and toss them jerseys.
For DL Hall, stepping onto the mound of a major leaguer for the first time in nearly four months was an up and down experience, similar to his long, one-time rehab stint.
Hall started for the Milwaukee Brewers for the first time since April 20 on Sunday afternoon, setting a career high in strikeouts, but also struggled with spotty control at the end, leading the Reds to score three runs and failing to get through five innings of a 4-3 loss to the Cincinnati Reds.
Hall wasn’t perfect, but after what seemed like the world’s longest rehab stint, he was where he – and the Brewers – wanted him: on the mound at American Family Field for a crucial late-season game.
“I’m just super grateful to be back,” Hall said. “After everything that happened in rehab, it never seemed like it would happen this year. Just the thought of feeling that I had today kept me going. I was ready to get back and glad I did.”
RESULT: Reds 4, Brewers 3
Hall’s unusual injury story began in his April start in St. Louis, when he injured his left knee while catching a ball, but it actually goes back even further to spring training, when, as Brewers manager Pat Murphy revealed Sunday morning, Hall was battling knee discomfort that prevented him from flashing his usual high velocity.
Hall began rehab after a four-week injury layoff and looked better than ever since he was acquired from the Brewers in exchange for Corbin Burnes on February 1. However, during his second rehab outing, the 25-year-old left-hander aggravated his left knee and was placed on the 60-day injured list.
Hall then sought a second opinion from an independent doctor, who recommended surgery to repair his knee. Hall ultimately decided against it and opted to follow the team’s recommended rehab in hopes of being able to pitch in Milwaukee again this year.
Hall resumed his rehab duties on June 13 and was scheduled to make his final appearance three weeks later before being recalled. However, rain prevented him from getting the work he needed, forcing him to start again.
In that game, Hall was hit in the left forearm by a line drive, forcing him to sit out another 12 days. Once again, Hall had to rebuild his performance.
“I would say it was probably the lowest point of his two months and 23 days of rehab where I got hit by the comebacker,” Hall said. “It’s tough, obviously. I’ve had a lot of problems with injuries over the last two years. I feel like all of that was just preparing me for the next moment. I tried not to get too high or too low, just keep my head down and keep going.”
After 13 minor league appearances, Hall looked fitter than he has ever been for the Brewers this year.
He hit 95 mph or more 11 times with his fastball, hitting 95.9 for a 94.6 average. He was in better shape than he had been earlier in the year, maintaining the late life and carrying power evaluators attributed to him during his rise as a junior.
Things didn’t just look better for Hall on the radar. Compared to the beginning of the year, Hall’s movements seemed much more natural.
“Pretty big difference in how I feel when I move on the mound,” Hall said. “I think it plays a big role in all of my throws. Not just the speed of my fastball, but how everything else works when the arm speed is right and the body is moving the way it’s supposed to.”
The rest of Hall’s arsenal also gave cause for optimism. All four of Hall’s pitches – slider, curveball and changeup, and four-seam – performed excellently on Sunday. None was better than his slider, which was a firmer, tighter breaker than Hall’s earlier in the year and suffered five misses in eight at-bats.
Hall also played off the fastball with his curveball and showed an excellent feel for the changeup down in the zone early on.
“I thought he threw the ball well,” Murphy said. “It was really encouraging. In my opinion, that was the best throw he’s made all year.”
What bothered Hall on Sunday, however, is not entirely unfamiliar. He walked three batters and struck out another – a first-pitch flop by TJ Friedl that loaded the bases with two outs in the fourth inning, immediately after Hall recorded his eighth punch out. What followed was a two-run single by Santiago Espinal that tied the game.
Hall’s command wasn’t an overwhelming problem against the Reds, and at times he even dictated where the ball went with precision and conviction. But inconsistencies in this area have too often been his downfall in his professional career.
“That’s the little weak spot in the armor,” Murphy said.
Hall’s future role, whether as a starter or bullpen player, is still uncertain, but Murphy confirmed he will remain with the major league club. Aaron Civale seems like the likely candidate for the fifth spot in the rotation, but no matter what inning Hall pitches next, his left arm had a lot to offer on Sunday.
