Eric Lauer will reappear for B...

Eric Lauer was expected to be a key figure on the 2023 Milwaukee Brewers but it turned out that his role on a division champion team was anything but significant.

Lauer has made only eight starts for the Brewers this year and didn’t pitch well in most of those outings.

But after a disappointing season of both performance and having to battle a series of confusion-causing injuries, Lauer will take the mound one last time in 2023 at American Family Field on Saturday as the Brewers have a chance of officially eliminating the Chicago Cubs from playoff contention.

“The whole year I was kind of 50/50 on how or if they were wanting to use me or bring me back or whatever,” Lauer said. “It was a pleasant surprise, if anything.”

Lauer opened the year as Milwaukee’s No. 3 starter after having made 49 starts for the team with a 3.47 earned run average over the previous two years. From the outset, though, it was clear something was off with Lauer on the bump. His velocity was down and his pitches didn’t carry their usual late life.

Lauer was briefly moved to the bullpen but ultimately, after one final disastrous start in Tampa Bay in late May, was placed on the injured list with an impingement in his non-throwing shoulder.

Lauer went on a rehab assignment at Class AAA Nashville, made two appearances, got roughed up in both, was shut down and optioned to Nashville.

For a couple of months, Lauer was somewhat off the map as far as Brewers’ minor-league affiliates went. He was in Arizona at the Brewers’ Phoenix complex for much of that time, but the team offered little public comment outside of that.

The reason for the shutdown, Lauer said, was an uncertainty of the exact issue. First, Lauer reported pain in his right shoulder. But there were also issues with his throwing shoulder as well as his elbow, he would later report.

“It was kind of a combination of issues,” Lauer said. “That’s what made it hard, is there wasn’t one glaring thing. It was a couple different pieces. There was inflammation in the shoulder. There was inflammation in the elbow. There was nerve compression. The way it was kind of described to me was you can’t cock the gun, you can’t shoo the bullet. I would get to that cocking phase and it would just fall off.

“So once we got the compression out of there, once we got all the inflammation out there – there was just more than I anticipated. I think there was more than anybody anticipated. Once I got the inflammation out there, it was pretty smooth sailing after that. Then it was a matter of re-synching everything.

“I had been trying to shift my mechanics and my arm slot trying to make it work all year not knowing what was going on. I just wasn’t throwing like myself. Now I feel like I’m back to a rhythmic, good stable state of throwing, knowing where my arm is, knowing where the ball’s going.”

Lauer returned to Nashville on Aug. 1 and appeared in 10 games the rest of the way. He had a 4.15 ERA in that span, striking out 58 in 39 innings but also walked 19.

The Brewers, who were also finally getting healthier in their rotation around the time Lauer rejoined Nashville, never seemed intent on calling Lauer back up to Milwaukee.

“The last couple of months, I’ve been feeling great,” Lauer said. “Arm’s been working well. Stuff’s been working. I feel good.”

Lauer was left to watch afar while the Brewers thrived without him.

“It tests your mentality,” he said of this season. “It tests your love for the game and how deep you strive to be as good as you can be. That’s what this year was for me, is just a test of how can I overcome this and how can I just get back to helping the team like I had been?”

It seems unlikely that the Brewers would bring Lauer back next year. The 28-year-old is set for a raise in arbitration from his $5.08 million 2023 salary that, considering the way this season went, might be a bit pricey for the cash-conscious Brewers.

“Organizationally, I’m not 100% sure. I’m not sure what their plans are with me,” Lauer said. “The whole year was kind of waiting to see what would happen. Obviously there was a lot going on up here and we had guys throwing really well. It wasn’t like, ‘Oh I need to be up there because I need to go back in that rotation.’ They were showing all year. I understood my position and my placement.”

Saturday may very well be it for Lauer in a Milwaukee uniform. Perhaps he’ll go out by bringing to an end the season of a rival.

“I think going into the off-season, though, I’m excited because I feel like I’m throwing like me,” Lauer said. “It feels good to know that I’m back on track.”