MILWAUKEE -- In his return to the majors after spending nearly four months on the injured list, Milwaukee's DL Hall provided reason for hope that he could contribute something to the NL Central-leading Brewers' playoff push.
The left-hander had a career-high nine strikeouts over 4⅔ innings Sunday in the Brewers' 4-3 loss to the Cincinnati Reds. This marked the first MLB appearance since April 20 for Hall, one of the players the Brewers acquired in the trade that sent 2021 NL Cy Young Award winner Corbin Burnes to the Baltimore Orioles.
"Overall I thought it was a good step in the right direction," Hall said.
The Brewers acquired Hall along with Joey Ortiz and a 2024 competitive balance pick in the Burnes trade. While Ortiz has posted a .758 OPS as Milwaukee's regular third baseman this season, Hall has spent much of his debut season with the Brewers recovering from injuries.
Hall, who turns 26 on Sept. 19, went 0-1 with a 7.71 ERA in just four appearances with Milwaukee before hurting his left knee while fielding a bunt April 20. He went on the injured list the next day.
He then had a number of setbacks in his recovery that delayed his return.
Hall aggravated his knee injury during a rehabilitation appearance in May. Then a line drive went off his left forearm last month while he was pitching for Triple-A Nashville.
"I'm just super grateful to be back," Hall said. "It seemed like it was never going to come this year after all the stuff that happened throughout rehab. I think just the thought of getting to feel that feeling again that I felt today just kept me going. I was just so ready to get back and I'm just blessed that I was able to."
Hall gave up three runs and five hits with three walks Sunday, but he pitched better than those numbers suggest.
Two of the runs Cincinnati scored against him came on a soft liner from Santiago Espinal that fell into shallow center field with the bases loaded and two outs in the fourth inning. The other run came on Tyler Stephenson's fifth-inning homer.
"I thought he threw the ball good," Brewers manager Pat Murphy said. "It was really encouraging, the best he's thrown all year, in my opinion that I've witnessed. I thought he deserved better luck."
Hall said he feels better now than he did back in April before going on the injured list.
"I'd say pretty big difference as far as just how I feel just moving on the mound," Hall said. "I think it plays a big part in all my pitches, not just the velo on my fastball but just like how everything else plays when my arm speed's there and my body is moving how it's supposed to."
This was only Hall's sixth career start, but he showed last year he has the ability to produce in the postseason. Hall also has the versatility to start or relieve.
Hall was 3-0 with a 3.26 ERA and 23 strikeouts over 19⅓ innings in 18 relief appearances with Baltimore last season. He struck out six batters over 3⅓ scoreless innings of relief in the Orioles' AL Division Series loss to Texas.
Murphy also noted that Hall still has minor league options remaining, which could come in handy as the Brewers arrange their pitching staff when relievers Bryan Hudson and Trevor Megill eventually come off the injured list. Hudson last pitched for Milwaukee on July 23 and appears on the verge of returning from a left oblique injury.
In other moves Sunday, the Brewers placed left-hander Hoby Milner on the 15-day injured list with a left shoulder impingement and transferred right-hander Enoli Paredes to the 60-day IL. Milner's move is retroactive to Friday.