First pitch is 3:10 PM CT at Daikin Park, with Sproat (1-3, 5.84) drawing Peter Lambert (3-4, 3.79) in the middle game of the set. Sproat's headline number is ugly, but his last 20.1 innings have been a tidy 3.54 ERA — the Brewers will take that against this version of Houston's lineup. This is also Sproat's first career look at the Astros.
Milwaukee rolls in at 34-20 and has won 4 straight, including last night's 5-4 extra-innings win where Turang dropped a 10th-inning sacrifice fly and Abner Uribe slammed the door. The Brewers swept the Cardinals at home before this trip and have basically been the best team in the National League for a month. Houston, meanwhile, is 26-33 and treading water in a division they were supposed to run.
The Astros' problem is pretty straightforward: half their roster is in a sling. Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa, Yainer Diaz, Josh Hader, Hunter Brown, Lance McCullers Jr., Cristian Javier — that's an All-Star team on the IL. Hader is reportedly on his final rehab steps at Triple-A Sugar Land, but he doesn't help Joe Espada this afternoon. Lambert has been the bright spot of the patchwork rotation and is the exact kind of strike-throwing starter who can keep an Astros team afloat for 5-plus.
- Day-To-DayGerson Garabito RP — Garabito will be out for four months after undergoing surgery to address a broken bone in his foot, Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.
- 10-Day-ILBrandon Lockridge LF — Lockridge is expected to be sidelined until mid-to-late June after an MRI on his right knee showed a bone bruise, Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.
- 15-Day-ILQuinn Priester SP — Priester (shoulder) recorded two outs and was charged with three earned runs on two hits and three walks Wednesday in his rehab start with Triple-A Nashville. He struck out one batter.
- 15-Day-ILJared Koenig RP — Koenig (elbow) said his live bullpen session went well Tuesday and he expects to begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Nashville on Friday, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.
- 15-Day-ILBrandon Woodruff SP — The Brewers announced Tuesday that Woodruff (shoulder) is scheduled for a 60-pitch live batting practice session next week, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.
- 15-Day-ILLogan Henderson SP — Brewers manager Pat Murphy said Monday that Henderson might not make his next scheduled start Wednesday against the Cardinals due to back tightness, Jack Stern of BrewerFanatic.com reports.
- 15-Day-ILAngel Zerpa RP — Zerpa will undergo UCL reconstruction on his left elbow next week, Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.
- 60-Day-ILRob Zastryzny RP — Zastryzny (shoulder/ribs) will resume a rehab assignment with Triple-A Nashville on Wednesday, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.
- Day-To-DayWalker Janek C — Double-A Corpus Christi placed Janek on its 7-day injured list Sunday due to an unspecified injury.
- 10-Day-ILJose Altuve 2B — Astros manager Joe Espada said Wednesday that the Astros could have Altuve (oblique) simulate at-bats rather than embark on a rehab assignment, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.
- 10-Day-ILJoey Loperfido LF — Astros manager Joe Espada told reporters Monday that Loperfido (quadriceps) will pause his rehab assignment until Wednesday after fouling a ball off his foot during Sunday's game with Double-A Corpus Christie, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.
- 10-Day-ILYainer Diaz C — Astros general manager Dana Brown said Sunday that Diaz (oblique) is expected to begin a rehab assignment during the first week of June, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.
- 10-Day-ILCarlos Correa SS — Correa is scheduled to undergo surgery Monday in Houston to repair the tendon in his left ankle, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.
- 15-Day-ILLance McCullers Jr. SP — McCullers was scratched from his scheduled start against the Twins on Tuesday due to shoulder inflammation, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.
- 15-Day-ILBennett Sousa RP — The Astros placed Sousa on the 15-day injured list Saturday with left elbow inflammation, retroactive to Wednesday, Julia Morales of Space City Home Network reports.
- 60-Day-ILHayden Wesneski SP — Wesneski (elbow) has progressed to throwing live batting practice this week, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.
The market sees a coin flip. Pinnacle has Milwaukee at -108 with Houston at -102, and the total sits at 8.5 with the under juiced slightly. DraftKings is way more aggressive on the Brewers at -144, which is the kind of gap that tells you sharps and the public are not on the same page here. EV is negative on both sides at the book — fade if you must, but this isn't the screaming spot the public side is making it.
The angle to watch: can Sproat give Pat Murphy 5 innings? He's only done that 3 times in 8 starts this year, and the Brewers bullpen had to grind out 4-plus frames last night. If Sproat is short again, this becomes a battle of taxed relievers — and that usually favors whichever team's offense wakes up first. Brewers are the better team. Astros are home and have a real starter on the mound. Should be a fun one.