A member of the Milwaukee Brewers truly lived up to the team’s nickname while celebrating the club clinching a playoff spot by winning the National League Central thanks to Sunday’s win over the New York Mets.
Devin Williams, a breakout star in 2020 who was named the NL Rookie of the Year and earned votes for both the Cy Young and MVP awards, will likely miss the playoffs for the Brew Crew after he broke his hand while punching a wall after having too much to drink during Sunday’s celebration. Williams, a relief pitcher who struck out 22 batters and only allowed a single run in 14 appearances in August, was placed on the 10-day injured list on Wednesday with a fractured right hand. Although he may possibly return if the Brewers make the World Series, it seems unlikely.
“After our celebration, I went out to have a few drinks. On my way home, I was a little frustrated and upset, and I punched a wall. That’s how it happened,” Williams said. “I’m pretty upset with myself. There’s no one to blame but me. I feel like I’ve let my team down, our coaching staff, our fans, everyone. I know how important of a role I play on this team and a lot of people count on me. I guess all I can do now is cheer my team on and learn from it and don’t make that same mistake in the future.”
The main setup man for All-Star closer Josh Hader, Williams will have surgery to install a plate in his hand to help heal the fracture and will be watching from the dugout when the Brewers play the Braves or Phillies in the NL Division Series.
A 27-year-old right-hander, Williams has an 8-2 record with a 2.50 ERA in 58 games this season and has struck out 87 batters in 54 innings while holding opponents to a .186 batting average. He’ll be tough to replace, but the Brewers will try.
“I don’t think it’s going to be one player who fills that role,” said Milwaukee manager Craig Counsell. “I think it’s going to be multiple players that fill that role. And when you say the role, don’t think about the regular season is what I guess I would say. It’s going to be a pitcher. It’s not necessarily going to be a reliever. We have to get 27 outs to win a playoff game. That’s truly how we see it.”
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