Brewers’ Jacob Misiorowski exits Nationals showdown with hamstring issue

The Milwaukee Brewers came away with a 6-1 victory over the Washington Nationals on Friday, but the win was tempered by Jacob Misiorowski’s early exit due to a right hamstring cramp. The 24-year-old right-hander was lights-out before leaving in the sixth inning, throwing 5⅓ hitless frames with eight strikeouts and two walks on 85 pitches, 58 of them strikes.

Misiorowski retired 11 consecutive hitters after issuing walks in the first two innings and struck out four straight batters leading into the sixth. He opened the inning by striking out Jacob Young and then pitched a 98.9 mph fastball to James Wood before signaling to the dugout. Manager Pat Murphy and head athletic trainer Brad Epstein removed him immediately, with the team later confirming the issue as a cramp.

At the time of his exit, Misiorowski had not allowed a hit and was leading 4-0. His performance included elite velocity metrics, with his fastball reaching 103 mph and averaging 101.9 mph in the first inning, the highest single-inning average by a starter in the pitch-tracking era (since 2008). The 2025 All-Star also threw 43 pitches at 100 mph or higher, the third-most in a single game in that era. For the season, he leads MLB with 59 strikeouts across 38 innings, alongside a 2.84 ERA and 1.00 WHIP.

Aaron Ashby replaced Misiorowski and preserved the no-hit bid through the sixth inning before surrendering a double to Daylen Lile in the seventh. Ashby ultimately worked 2⅔ innings of relief as the Brewers secured its first win over the Nationals in four meetings this season.

Offensively, William Contreras led Milwaukee, going 4-for-5 with three RBIs, including a two-run single in the eighth inning. The Brewers added insurance runs after loading the bases via a bunt single from David Hamilton, an error, and a swinging bunt.

The injury concern comes one day after Brandon Woodruff was placed on the 15-day injured list with shoulder inflammation, further testing Milwaukee’s rotation depth. Misiorowski’s status is now crucial for a Brewers team that sits at 17-14 and 2.5 games out of first place in the NL Central.

The post Brewers’ Jacob Misiorowski exits Nationals showdown with hamstring issue appeared first on ClutchPoints.