The Brewers will open the second half with another big series against the Reds

The Milwaukee Brewers will open the second half of the season Friday facing the same team they closed the first half against, the Cincinnati Reds.

The three-game series, this time played at Great American Ball Park, will open with Corbin Burnes matching up against right-hander Graham Ashcraft.

Freddy Peralta squares off against left-hander Andrew Abbott on Saturday and Adrian Houser closes out against right-hander Ben Lively on Sunday.

The Brewers are coming off a series victory over the Reds at American Family Field last weekend – one in which they opened by becoming the first team to hit the rookie Abbott since he made his major-league debut and closed with a 2-hour 4-minute, 1-0 shutout in the finale.

Those victories left Milwaukee one game behind Cincinnati in the National League Central Division standings.

With the three games this weekend and then three more July 24-26 at American Family Field, the Brewers (49-42) finish against the Reds (50-41) and every meeting will be of the utmost importance if it continues to be a two-team race, as many expect.

“Just continue to play like we ended the first half,” shortstop Willy Adames said when asked what he expected from the Brewers the rest of the way as they attempt to return to the playoffs after a disappointing 2022 left them on the outside for the first time since 2017.

“The last week we were playing really well and as a team doing a lot of the little things,” Adames continued. “We weren’t perfect, but hopefully we can continue to carry that into the second half. It was really impressive the last 10 games and I think that’s a good sign.

“After this break, our bodies are going to be fresher. I think we’re in a really good position.”

Here are three things to watch in the second half.

The Brewers are getting healthier

The tone was set heading into spring training, when Aaron Ashby and Tyrone Taylor were sidelined with shoulder and elbow issues respectively.

Then on opening day Luis Urías strained a hamstring, landed on the 60-day injured list and is at Class AAA Nashville after having not been able to get going at the plate upon his return.

Ten days later it was right-hander Brandon Woodruff who was felled by a tricky subscapular strain. More than three months after he was sidelined Woodruff is yet to throw a pitch in a game.

A little more than a week after Woodruff went out, starting centerfielder Garrett Mitchell injured his shoulder sliding back into a base in Seattle badly enough that shortly thereafter he underwent season-ending surgery.

And on and on it’s gone for the Brewers, who have had 21 IL placements leading to 51 players and counting suiting up. That’s only two behind the total for last season with roughly three months to go.

The good news is that slowly but surely Milwaukee is getting healthier and should have some of these key players back for the stretch run.

The biggest addition without question would be Woodruff, who is in the midst of ramping up his throwing in a series of bullpen sessions. Live batting practice would follow, with a minor-league rehab stint the final step before Woodruff returns to the rotation.

August appears to be in the cards barring any setbacks and even if he’s eased in from there Woodruff would still be a major addition.

Ashby is on the verge of throwing bullpen sessions and veteran Justin Wilson – signed to a free-agent deal in the spring – should also be returning, giving manager Craig Counsell a couple more left-handers out of the bullpen.

“It’s exciting,” said Adames, himself a survivor of the IL after suffering a concussion on a scary play in late May. “We always have room to get better. And especially getting Woody and Wilson and seeing how the (trading) deadline goes for us – we’ll continue to battle against the Reds and hopefully start the second half on top.”

The trading deadline could be interesting – for a couple of reasons

Milwaukee’s ill-fated decision to trade closer Josh Hader just prior to the deadline last season has been re-hashed time and time again – and with good reason, as the Brewers’ bullpen scuffled the rest of the way and was a major reason for the team failing to make the playoff field.

With those failings still fresh in everyone’s minds, could the Brewers nevertheless make a similar move again by the Aug. 1 deadline?

After all, Adames, Woodruff and Corbin Burnes all become free agents after the 2024 season and the chances any of them re-sign with Milwaukee are slim at best.

It would stand to reason, then, that the Brewers would receive the largest haul trading one of them by Aug. 1.

But with the team once again in contention and the potential for another stretch-run letdown – not to mention further public outcry – the more likely scenario is probably waiting until the offseason.

Adding to the frustration last year was the Brewers’ failure to add any bats to an inconsistent offense. The price is likely going to be high once again but they could use upgrades at several positions, with designated hitter and right field at the top of the list.

Improving against left-handed pitching should also be a priority.

The resurgence of Christian Yelich and recent strong play by Adames and catcher William Contreras has helped the offense perform much better overall since the calendar flipped to July. Getting Rowdy Tellez back on track – he hasn’t homered since May 22 – would be ideal as well.

Milwaukee has also had a penchant for adding bullpen help at the deadline and another move could be made there. But the fact that Ashby and Wilson are waiting in the wings might lessen the need.

What the Brewers would part with in order to make a few deals happen remains to be seen. Possible trade partners undoubtedly will aim for the organization’s top prospects but it’s highly unlikely any would be moved unless it was some sort of blockbuster deal.

The Central Division remains winnable

Coming into the season the assumption was it would be the Brewers and the St. Louis Cardinals once again duking it out for the title.

But the Cardinals limped out of the gate, never found their stride and, shockingly, are in last place at 38-52 (11½ games out) and looking to trade rather than add heading toward the deadline.

The Reds, meanwhile, are sure to be buyers rather than the sellers they have been for the past number of years – a development nobody could have seen coming for 2023. Credit to a passel of prospects picked up at previous deadlines that has sparked Cincinnati, not to mention super prospect Elly De La Cruz.

The team’s clear weakness is pitching, so adding to the rotation and the bullpen is probably going to be the way the Reds go.

Schedule-wise, the Reds have a nine- and a 10-game road trip in the second half while the Brewers have a single nine-game road trip.

The Chicago Cubs, who enter the second half seven games out, are likely going to be in sell mode with centerfielder Cody Bellinger the best candidate to be on the move.

The Pittsburgh Pirates were the top early season story but have predictably faded and will be sellers as well.

Winning the Central will be the focus for the Brewers and the Reds the rest of the way.

The Miami Marlins, Arizona Diamondbacks and San Francisco Giants currently hold the top three spots in the wild-card chase with the Philadelphia Phillies and the Brewers both in the fourth spot one-half game back.

After that the San Diego Padres are six games out, the Cubs 6½ and the New York Mets seven.

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Brewers open second half with another big series against Reds