Brewers reinstate promising rookie RHP Jake Cousins from COVID-19 injury list

The Brewers announced that right-hander Jake Cousins has been reinstated from the COVID-19 injury list. To create roster room, right-hander Sal Romano has been designated for assignment.

Cousins returns after the mandatory 10-day quarantine period following a positive coronavirus test. The Brewers still have six more players on their COVID list, but between Cousins, Hunter Strickland and Christian Yelich all returning in recent days, the club is slowly starting to make its way back from this outbreak.

The positive COVID-19 result was unwelcome interruption to what has been an eye-opener of a rookie season for the 27-year-old Cousins, who has yet to allow a run over 14 1/3 innings out of Milwaukee’s bullpen. The hard-throwing righty has an impressive 37.7% strikeout rate and an even 50% grounder rate, as opposing batters have managed only an .091 batting average in 53 plate appearances. After a few nondescript seasons in the Nationals’ farm system, Cousins has seen his strikeout rates spike since joining the Brewers in 2019.

Romano was claimed off waivers from the Yankees just last week, as the Brew Crew looked for some fresh arms in the midst of their coronavirus outbreak. After tossing one inning in one game for Milwaukee, Romano has now banked appearances with three different clubs in 2021 — the right-hander has a combined 5.63 ERA over 24 innings with the Brewers, Yankees and Reds, with 20 2/3 of those innings coming in Cincinnati.