Brewers' Robert Gasser Finds Silver Lining in Tough 1-0 Loss

That was a much better case to stick in the rotation

Jun 3, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Robert Gasser (54) throws a pitch during the second inning against the San Francisco Giants at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

Robert Gasser's first two starts for the Milwaukee Brewers this season didn't reflect well on his future with the team. Start No. 3 was much, much better.

Facing the San Francisco Giants at American Family Field, Gasser went five strong innings and allowed just one earned run. The damage came on a solo blast from Giants outfielder Victor Bericoto, the first home run of his career.

At a time when the Brewers somewhat unexpectedly needed to turn back to Gasser, the 26-year-old rewarded their trust. Manager Pat Murphy attempted to instill a bit more of that trust in his postgame comments.

Murphy says Brewers relying on Gasser moving forward

Jun 3, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Robert Gasser (54) throws a pitch during the first inning against the San Francisco Giants at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

Murphy was emphatic about endorsing Gasser, who he said could be a big piece of the rotation if he continued to fill up the strike zone.

“These guys all understand that, yeah, we’re technically in first place, but we’re not looking at that. We’re trying to get better,” Murphy said, per Adam McCalvy of MLB.com. “We’ve got some real significant pitching injuries, but we trust in our youth. … We’re trusting our process, and Gasser is part of our plan.”

Gasser only walked one batter on Wednesday after issuing six walks and three hit batsmen in his 8 1/3 innings over the first two starts he made this season. He wasn't having the same walk issue in the minors, with just eight bases on balls in 26 2/3 innings.

Even with the boost from Wednesday's performance, Gasser probably ranks fifth on the rotation depth chart among fully healthy Brewers pitchers. If and when Brandon Woodruff, Logan Henderson, or Quinn Priester returns this month, he could still be the man demoted to Triple-A.

Having returned from Tommy John surgery last year, Gasser has long been chasing the feeling he had when he came up to the big leagues for the first time in 2024 and flirted with dominance. If Wednesday was the first step to reclaiming that dominance, the Brewers can be an even more formidable rotation moving forward, even if we account for the inevitable injuries that will continue to disrupt.