Brewers Sign Elvin Rodriguez, Designate J.B. Bukauskas For Assignment

The Brewers have signed right-hander Elvin Rodriguez to a one-year deal with a club option for the 2026 season, reports Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. The MDR Sports Management client spent the 2024 season in Japan and is returning stateside on a big league deal after an impressive showing overseas. Fellow right-hander JB Bukauskas has been designated for assignment to open space on the 40-man roster.

Rodriguez, 27 in March, pitched in the majors with the 2022 Tigers and the 2023 Rays. He’s logged a total of 33 MLB frames and been hit hard, surrendering a gruesome 9.55 earned run average. The bulk of that work came as a starting pitcher, but Rodriguez worked out of the bullpen in 2025 and delivered generally impressive results.

In 45 innings for Japan’s Yakult Swallows, Rodriguez logged a tiny 1.80 ERA with a 24% strikeout rate and 6.5% walk rate. He spent nearly as much time with Yakult’s minor league club early in the ’24 season as he did with their big league club later in the year, pitching to a similar 1.67 ERA with their farm team.

More to come.