Brewers recall Jason Alexander, designate Jake McGee for assignment

The Brewers shook up their bullpen on Sunday morning, recalling Jason Alexander and designating veteran Jake McGee for assignment.

Injuries to the starting staff forced Alexander into the rotation in June. He posted a 2.42 ERA over his first four starts with a strong ground ball rate, but he issued more walks (nine) than strikeouts (eight) in those outings.

Alexander’s unsustainable performance quickly cratered, as he allowed 22 earned runs in his next six appearances, boosting his ERA to 5.60. Seven of those runs scored in a five-inning outing against the Giants on July 17, and the Brewers optioned him to Triple-A shortly after the game.

The right-hander is back but doesn’t appear likely to get starts now that Freddy Peralta is healthy and Adrian Houser is not far behind. He could provide some length out of the bullpen or be a solid option against right-handed hitters when Craig Counsell needs a ground ball.

McGee signed with the Brewers on July 23 after being designated for assignment by the Giants a few weeks prior. Considering he is not far removed from a strong 2021 season as the San Francisco closer, he was worth taking a flier on.

Unfortunately, his performance did not improve, as he posted a 6.35 ERA and 6.82 FIP in six appearances. McGee failed to reverse the collapse of his strikeout rate, punching out just 16% of his batters faced with the Brewers. He also coughed up a pair of home runs. Assuming he clears waivers, the left-hander is likely to elect free agency and hit the open market again.