Brewers Make Intriguing Decision, Promote Bo Naylor for Playoff Push

The Milwaukee Brewers made two moves on Tuesday with rosters expanding from 26 players, to 28.

Apr 18, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians catcher Bo Naylor (23) rounds the bases after hitting a home run during the eighth inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Milwaukee Brewers are adding two intriguing players to the roster ahead of the club's push to the playoffs.

It has been expected that veteran reliever JoJo Romero was going to be activated off the Injured List and join the big league club for the first time since being acquired ahead of the trade deadline from the St. Louis Cardinals. That became a reality on Tuesday afternoon as the Brewers announced that Romero has been officially activated and promoted to the majors.

That's not all, though. Rosters expand by two when Sep. 1 comes around, from 26 players to 28. As a result, the Brewers also promoted veteran catcher Bo Naylor, who was acquired by Milwaukee ahead of the 2026 MLB trade deadline as well.

Today's transactions pic.twitter.com/twVeuNYKqm

— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) September 1, 2026

The Brewers Made Two Intriguing Moves

May 7, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Cleveland Guardians catcher Bo Naylor (23) is congratulated by teammates after hitting a home run during the seventh inning against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Romero is going to give Milwaukee another high-end lefty that the club has been looking for. Before landing on the Injured List, Romero had a 3.35 ERA in 44 appearances with the Cardinals. That alone would be enough to give Milwaukee a boost. Last year he was even better. Romero had a 2.07 ERA in 65 appearances in what was a breakout campaign for the veteran lefty. In 2023 and 2024, he was much closer to the level he was at earlier in the season. In 2023, he logged a 3.68 ERA in 27 outings. In 2024, he had a 3.36 ERA in 65 appearances.

When it comes to Naylor, the Brewers are adding legit power from the left side of the batter's box. Naylor hit 11 homers in 2023, 13 homers in 2024, and 14 home runs last year. That may not sound like much, but if he had 14 home runs right now, he'd be in fourth place on the Brewers, ahead of William Contreras (13). Naylor played in just 28 games in the majors this season with the Cleveland Guardians. He struggled and slashed .143/.200/.238 with two home runs and seven RBIs.

After joining the Brewers' organization, he has been much better in Triple-A. With Triple-A Nashville, Naylor slashed .283/.353/.550 with four home runs and 17 RBIs in 14 games played. Hopefully, a chance of scenery pointed him in the right direction. He's a 26-year-old former first-round pick with team control through the 2029 season. We very well could see a lot from him from here on out beyond the 2026 season. From here on out, he'll join a catcher group in Milwaukee featuring Contreras and Gary Sánchez.