Brewers' Shane Drohan Explains 'Brutal' Way He Heard About Tarik Skubal-Dodgers Trade

The Brewers pitcher said the way he found out Tarik Skubal being traded to the Dodgers was 'pretty brutal'

Aug 5, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Shane Drohan (55) throws a pitch during the second inning against the Minnesota Twins at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It's been nine days since the Milwaukee Brewers fell short in their trade pursuit of starting pitcher Tarik Skubal and the southpaw was acquired by the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Dodgers were always expected to go hard after the two-time reigning AL Cy Young award winner ahead of the MLB trade deadline, but some believed that given their very real chance of winning their first World Series title this year, the Brewers would land Skubal.

The failure wasn't for a lack of trying.

Milwaukee starting pitcher Shane Drohan -- who was acquired in a February trade with the Boston Red Sox -- recently revealed to Mac Cerullo of The Boston Herald the unfortunate way he found out that the Brewers hadn't landed Skubal.

"...It was pretty brutal, at least for me, I was sitting in the dugout and I found out through a fan behind us," Drohan said, per Cerullo. "It was some lady, she’s like, 'Oh, Skubal to the Dodgers' and I’m like there’s no way that’s how I found out, but that’s how I found out."

Brewers' Miss On Skubal Solidified Drohan's Spot In Starting Rotation

Jul 31, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Shane Drohan (55) reacts after striking out Los Angeles Angels designated hitter Jorge Soler (12) to end the sixth inning at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Milwaukee was busy leading up to the MLB trade deadline, acquiring Dustin May and JoJo Romero in a deal with the St. Louis Cardinals and Antonio Senzatela in a move with the Colorado Rockies.

Still, many baseball experts viewed the NL Central leader's trade deadline as disappointing.

With May taking a spot in the Brewers' rotation and left-hander Kyle Harrison returning from injury, a trade for Skubal could've very well bumped Drohan from Milwaukee's starting group.

Jacob Misiorowski is the unquestioned No. 1, followed by Harrison and rookie right-hander Logan Henderson. May and Drohan round out the starting five.

Drohan joined the rotation at the beginning of June when Henderson went on the injured list and has been mostly solid.

The southpaw is 6-4 with a 3.87 ERA, 1.24 WHIP and 93 strikeouts across 93 innings pitched covering 23 games (13 starts).

Drohan's ERA as a starter (4.61) is significantly higher than his numbers as a reliever (1.82), but the former figure is largely bloated due to two recent rough outings.

The 27-year-old rookie sandwiched a strong six-inning start against the Los Angeles Angels on July 31 with a pair of subpar performances.

Drohan allowed five runs on six hits in six frames vs. the Colorado Rockies on July 24 before the win against the Angels. He surrendered career highs in hits (nine), runs (six) and home runs (two), while matching his high mark with four walks in Friday's 8-6 loss vs. the Minnesota Twins.

Drohan will likely start one of the Brewers' contests against the Dodgers in their upcoming four-game set from Thursday to Sunday.