Shane Drohan is expected to get the ball for the Brewers in Game 4 of the NLCS against the Dodgers on Thursday, according to CBS Sports. The rookie left-hander has not pitched in more than two weeks and is not stretched out to handle a traditional starter’s workload, meaning Milwaukee’s plan could look more like an opener situation than a conventional start.
The Brewers lead the series 3-0 after a 6-2 win in Game 3 on Wednesday and can complete a sweep of the defending champion Dodgers with a win. Los Angeles is set to counter with right-hander Tyler Glasnow, 33, who posted a 3.53 ERA and 98 strikeouts over 13 regular-season starts in 2026.
The Main Development: Drohan Gets The Call
Drohan made 19 starts for Milwaukee during the regular season and made his MLB debut earlier this year, but he has yet to appear in a postseason game. He last pitched on Sept. 27, a gap of more than two weeks heading into a potential Game 4 start.
Given that layoff, the Shane Drohan NLCS Game 4 start figures to be managed carefully. Dustin May is a candidate to cover innings out of the bullpen behind him as the Brewers try to close out the series, according to CBS Sports.
What It Means For Milwaukee’s Pitching Plan
Using Drohan in a short-burst role allows Brewers manager Pat Murphy to preserve arms who have already handled heavier loads deeper into October. Drohan was one of three pitchers on Milwaukee’s NLCS roster, along with Kyle Harrison and Chad Patrick, who had not thrown a single inning during the NLDS against the Padres.
Murphy addressed the broader need to keep pitchers fresh across a longer series. “It’s definitely different in a longer series. We had a number of guys who didn’t pitch last series, but we want to make sure we’re covered,” Murphy said.
He pointed to a past example for context. “I remember a game with Junior Guerra not that long ago pitching in L.A. in the [13th inning] and being on fumes. You don’t want to be in those types of spots.
So, we’ve been in that exact spot against the Dodgers, and I think we’re ready for it.”
Context: How Milwaukee Got Here
The Brewers submitted their NLCS roster to Major League Baseball on Sunday morning, carrying 26 players split evenly between 13 pitchers and 13 position players. That roster construction included three days off between clinching the NLDS and Game 1 of the NLCS, time Murphy noted helped some arms sit idle longer than usual.
Milwaukee’s bats have carried the series momentum. Jake Bauers and Garrett Mitchell hit back-to-back home runs off Dodgers starter Blake Snell in Game 3, and Robert Gasser threw five shutout innings in that win even though Snell himself worked six innings for Los Angeles. The Brewers have now beaten the Dodgers three straight times in this series and sit one win away from their first World Series appearance since 1982.
What’s Next
Game 4 is scheduled for Thursday, with Los Angeles facing elimination as the defending champion. Glasnow, who tossed 4 2/3 innings of one-run ball in Game 4 of the NLDS against the Braves, will try to keep the Dodgers’ season alive against a Milwaukee pitching staff leaning on its rookie starter and bullpen depth to finish the sweep.
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