MILWAUKEE -- The Brewers have had to dip deep into their rotation depth early in the season -- so much so that, entering Sunday, they had already used eight different arms to start their first 21 games.
When right-hander Logan Henderson (Milwaukee¡¯s No. 12 prospect, per MLB Pipeline) took the ball Sunday afternoon at American Family Field, he became starter No. 9 in game No. 22. His team was looking to avoid dropping its first home series of ¡®25. And Henderson, at 23 years old, was making his Major League debut.
However, if any nerves still remained when he took the mound, he didn¡¯t let them show. Henderson tossed six innings in the Brewers¡¯ 14-1 victory over the A¡¯s, the only blemish on his day being a fifth-inning solo home run by left fielder Seth Brown. He struck out nine A¡¯s hitters and only walked one -- a welcome positive sign after free passes had been an issue in his first two starts with Triple-A Nashville.
Henderson, Milwaukee's 2021 fourth-round Draft pick, led with his top two pitches, throwing either a four-seamer or a changeup on 77 of his 83 offerings. Both were plenty effective against the A¡¯s, too. His fastball got six whiffs on 20 swings, and the change seven whiffs on 19 swings.
Henderson just seemed to be calm, poised and on his game from pitch No. 1. Brewers manager Pat Murphy described his outing pretty well: ¡°That's the best I've ever seen him throw.¡±
¡°I don't know if I can sum it up yet,¡± Henderson said. ¡°I mean, I'm just super thankful, man. It's an accumulation of a lot of hard work and a lot of people that have believed in me.¡±
As with anyone making their debut, Henderson had nerves in the days leading up to it. He was recalled from Nashville on Tuesday. His first few days up, he was available out of the bullpen. He tried to soak in being in the big leagues, but he also had to stay focused and ready.
Once he knew he was getting the ball for the series finale, though, he was able to let it all sink in.
¡°That was when I really could soak it in and just watch the best baseball in the world from the dugout,¡± Henderson said. ¡°The guys have been super welcoming, and I feel comfortable.¡±
When he woke up Sunday, he said, it was ¡°the most calm I've been on any start [day] in professional baseball.¡± It helped that it was Easter Sunday, after all. That played a part in his early-morning comfort level.
¡°Today is not about me,¡± Henderson said. ¡°I felt really at peace and felt comfortable out there.¡±
There were other factors which contributed to his comfort level. A familiar face in Eric Haase would be behind the plate catching him. He also had 15-20 friends and family members in attendance.
Then, Milwaukee¡¯s lineup gave him plenty of room to get comfortable early in his first big league outing.
The Brewers scored four times in the bottom of the first, going 6-for-6 on stolen-base attempts (drawing two throwing errors in the process), becoming the first team in at least the Divisional Era (1969) to steal six bases in one inning (per MLB.com's Sarah Langs). Before Henderson exited the game in favor of left-hander Tyler Alexander heading into the top of the seventh, his offense had given him nine runs of support (while stealing a single-game franchise-record nine bases).
¡°That was huge,¡± Henderson said. ¡°Having some four-run cushion in the first was awesome. I just had to go out there and attack the strike zone.¡±
As other Brewers starting pitchers get healthier, it¡¯s unclear how long Henderson¡¯s stint will last. His performance could very well be the determining factor in that decision.
At least on his first time out, his performance passed the test.
¡°How awesome was that? So awesome,¡± said center fielder Sal Frelick, a fellow Brewers¡¯ 2021 Draft pick. ¡°... I know I wasn't surprised. I knew he was going to go out and do that. I know he'd been up here for a few days, too, and hadn't pitched yet, which can kind of be tough sometimes. Found out he was getting the start days ago and just went out and threw an absolute gem. I¡¯m so happy for him.¡±