Todd Rosiak

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

PHOENIX -- Craig Counsell filled in the rest of the blanks in the Milwaukee Brewers' season-opening starting rotation on Thursday, and it has a definite youthful feel to it.

Joining opening day starter Jhoulys Chacín will be 22-year-old Freddy Peralta, 26-year-old Brandon Woodruff and 24-year-old Corbin Burnes -- the talented right-handed trio that the team used to great effect in several roles last season.

Zach Davies, no grizzled veteran himself at 26, will round out the group and start the fifth game of the season in Cincinnati. The order in which Peralta, Woodruff and Burnes will pitch is yet to be determined.

Chase Anderson will open the season in the bullpen after failing to impress with a new delivery this spring.

"That’s just kind of how we’re going to start," Counsell said. "I don’t know if I can give you a pure reason. I think that’s how we think we’re best suited to start. This is how we line up our five guys.

"Corbin, Freddy and Woody – it’s time for them to start."

Peralta and Burnes both made their major-league debuts last season while Woodruff bounced between the majors and minors, and there was no denying all three would be heard from in a big way moving forward.

Peralta burst onto the scene with a memorable 13-strikeout performance in his debut last Mother's Day at Colorado and went on to finish with 96 in just 78 1/3 innings over 16 appearances (14 starts). He finished 6-4 with a 4.25 earned run average while limiting batters to a .178 average.

Slated to start the Brewers' final Cactus League game Sunday, Peralta has struck out 12 in 7 1/3 innings over three outings.

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Over six stints with Milwaukee last season, Woodruff started four games and pitched out of the bullpen in 15. He finished 3-0 with a 3.61 ERA and 47 strikeouts in 42 1/3 innings and then took his game to a higher level in the playoffs by going 1-1 with a 2.19 ERA and team-high 20 strikeouts in 12 1/3 innings (four appearances, one start).

Woodruff has a team-high 20 strikeouts in 14 2/3 innings this spring to go with a 1-0 record and 1.84 ERA in four starts.

Burnes, meanwhile, impressed in 30 relief appearances after debuting with the Brewers in early July despite being used exclusively as a starter in the minor leagues. He posted a two-inning save in his first game, then went on to go 7-0 with a 2.61 ERA while compiling a WHIP of 1.000.

He's had a little rougher go of it this spring as he expands what was essentially a two-pitch repertoire as a reliever to a five-pitch mix as a starter. Burnes is 0-1 with a 5.93 ERA over five appearances (four starts).

"It’s very special," Burnes said. "I’ve wanted to be a starter in the big leagues for as long as I can remember as a kid. To get that news today and get the opportunity to do that, it’s pretty special.

"I’m going to have to prove myself every time I go out there. But I’m definitely excited and can’t wait to get the season rolling."

Added Counsell: "They’ve pitched well. Woody’s pitched exceptionally. I think Freddy and Woody have thrown the ball really, really well this spring. I think Corbin’s thrown the ball well at times. I think his stuff is actually up a notch.

"He’s made some mistakes, but I think his stuff is actually up a notch and so we think there’s good things to come there. It’s these guys’ times to do it."

The fact the trio is all joining the rotation at the same time is more about timing and performance than an organizational plan, Counsell said.

"We’re in the mode of winning baseball games, so this isn’t a developmental thing, necessarily," he said. "I do think that these guys have all shown, certainly, the potential and performance at the big-league level and we think there’s more to come. And better to come.

"I also think it’s important that we continue to push our younger players into bigger spots, and we’re always going to do that. It’s a critical part of us maintaining and sustaining success."

Davies has started 80 major-league games and won 17 games in 2017, but he started only 13 games in 2018 after missing much of the year with rotator cuff inflammation and struggled his way to a 2-7 record and 4.77 ERA.

He is 1-1 with a 7.88 ERA in six Cactus League appearances, but much of that damage came in his last outing, when he fared poorly with a mechanical change he was attempting to make.

"After last year, after the struggles staying healthy and in and out I’m happy to be back in the rotation and happy to have a spot," Davies said. "I know nothing’s guaranteed, either. I know there’s a lot of starters, a lot of capable guys, and at any moment you have to be on top of your game and focused and putting up results."

Anderson, meanwhile, spent most of the spring trying to incorporate a change to his delivery in hopes of putting a rough 2018 behind him. Instead, he struggled his way to an 0-3 record and 7.07 ERA while allowing a team-high four homers. He scrapped his new approach for his final start.

"He will start for us," said Counsell, who points often to the fact teams need more than five starters to get through a season. A year ago, 11 pitchers started a game for Milwaukee.

"He’s going to have to pitch in games and get outs and help us win games. Look, there’s enough uncertainty in our bullpen that there’s big outs available to get – especially at the start of the season.

"I think there’s going to be a transition for Chase, and we’ve already started to talk about that. And like we’ve done with Corbin Burnes or anybody else that we’ve transitioned into that role, you do have to allot for that at the start of the process. Like we did with Josh (Hader) a couple years ago.

"But Chase will adapt fast."

It's been a tough last six months for Anderson, who was forced to watch the Brewers' playoff run from the sideline when he was pulled from the rotation late last September.

“The initial thought was obviously a little bit discouraged," Anderson said. "But they want to ride these young guys and see how they do, see if they can get us out of the gate on the right foot.

"Now that I know I’m in the bullpen, I’ve got a job to do -- go out there and get outs. We’ll go from there and see what happens."

Counsell said there was no discussion of having Anderson -- who will make $6 million this season and has a minor-league option remaining -- open at Class AAA San Antonio.