In what has been a fantastic season for the Milwaukee Brewers, they have stumbled a bit lately. The club has had a game every day of the month of August so far, going 6-6 in that time.
Milwaukee was just swept on the road by the San Diego Padres, suffering two separate one-run losses and an 11-2 blowout all in the same series. In a heated race for the National League’s No. 1 seed, they currently hold that bid at 74-47.
Even in such a successful season, the brewers have needed all the arms they can get. 30 different players have pitched in at least one game, not counting position players. A particular pitcher who has just one game is right-hander Lyon Richardson.
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The story with Richardson
Jun 1, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Lyon Richardson (72) pitches against the Kansas City Royals in the first inning at Great American Ball Park. Katie Stratman-Imagn Images The 26-year-old is in his fourth big league season. He started 2026 with the Cincinnati Reds before being designated for assignment in early June. The Brewers picked him up shortly after, optioning him to Triple-A Nashville.
Richardson labored in Triple-A before being called up on Saturday. He pitched in Monday’s game at the Padres, throwing 1 ⅔ scoreless innings.
Even with the nice performance, there is no room for Richardson on the roster. He was subsequently DFA’d on Tuesday. David Gasper of Brewers Daily reported Thursday that the RHP has elected to become a free agent instead of reporting back to Triple-A Nashville.
What could be next
Richardson is only 26 years old, and will more than likely get another MLB opportunity down the line. He has appeared in 42 career games, pitching 58 ⅓ innings with a 6.48 ERA. He has struck out 17.2% of batters and walked 14.6%.
Due to Milwaukee’s bullpen being hard to crack, Richardson seems to want to go somewhere where he can get on an MLB roster as soon as possible. With that said, he would likely have to sign a minor league contract at this point.
There are plenty of teams in need of bullpen help, especially at the back end. Richardson has shown the ability to throw several innings at a time in his career, so some sort of long relief work could be right up his alley.