Milwaukee Brewers closing pitcher Devin Williams will miss up to three months in action due to multiple stress fractures. The development came after Brewers manager Pat Murphy revealed that the 29-year-old pitcher sought the opinion of a back specialist after his lower back felt stiff.
Before going to another specialist, Williams consulted team doctors who had imaging done on his back. However, the results did not raise any alarming concerns. Unfortunately, the discomfort remained, so he went to orthopedic spine surgeon Dr. Robert Williams.
Devin Williams
— Jesse Morse, MD (@DrJesseMorse) March 14, 2024
Milwaukee Brewers
Bilateral pars fracture at T12
This is a back injury that is actually relatively common, especially in athletes.
Athletes often visit Dr. Robert Watkins in California to get evaluated for back injuries, and that where Williams went.
The… pic.twitter.com/KL8TpNCL6d
Williams had a 1.53 earned run average and 36 saves last season. He finished with an 8-3 record, struck out 87 batters, and had a 0.920 WHIP. Those numbers earned him his second All-Star selection and the National League Reliever of the Year Award.
He made his first Major League Baseball All-Star appearance in 2022 when he had a 1.93 ERA and 15 saves in 60.2 innings. Williams won the 2020 AL Rookie of the Year award with a 0.33 ERA and 53 strikeouts in 27 innings.
The Brewers selected Williams in the second round of the 2013 MLB June Amateur Draft. He made his MLB debut six years later against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. Williams is a two-time All-MLB Second Team member and part of the United States team that won silver in the 2023 World Baseball Classic.
-Lance Fernandez