Who is Chad Patrick? What to know about the Milwaukee Brewers starter Tuesday

One of the surprise newcomers to the Milwaukee Brewers' 26-man roster is Chad Patrick, a pitcher who was initially optioned to Class AAA Nashville on March 9 and then told he had made the team after all.

On Tuesday, he'll be pressed into duty as the starting pitcher against the Kansas City Royals, with a 6:40 p.m. CT first pitch as Milwaukee (0-4) chases its first victory of the season.

Last year was his first season in the Brewers' system, and he had a tremendous year with the Sounds. Here's what to know about Patrick:

How old is Chad Patrick and where is he from?

The 26-year-old rookie is a native of Crown Point, Indiana, and attended college at Purdue Northwest.

How did Chad Patrick wind up with the Brewers?

He was acquired from the Oakland Athletics before the 2024 season when the Brewers traded third baseman Abraham Toro for him. He spent the 2024 season with Class AAA Nashville.

How did Chad Patrick do last year?

Patrick was outstanding in Nashville, posting a 14-1 record with a 2.90 ERA in 26 games (24 starts), plus 145 strikeouts and 39 walks in his 136 innings, good for a 1.09 WHIP. He thus won the Triple-A "triple crown" by leading both AAA leagues in wins, strikeouts and ERA, and he was also named International League Pitcher of the Year.

When it came time to either add him to the 40-man roster this offseason or risk losing him in the Rule 5 draft, the Brewers "protected" him by placing him on the 40. That greatly increased his chances of seeing time in Milwaukee this season.

He made his big-league debut Saturday in the messy 20-9 loss to New York. Patrick gave up a walk and two hits, including a two-run homer, but he also recorded his first big-league strikeout.

Why didn't Chad Patrick get called up last year?

Patrick wasn't on the 40-man roster then, so it would have been a little more complicated to add him when other options were available. Before he'd compiled such a gaudy track record of success, the Brewers had already added starters like Carlos Rodriguez, Robert Gasser and Tobias Myers, to varying degrees of success, thus filling up the 40-man with young starting pitchers that the team wasn't about to drop from the 40-man to make room.

It wasn't obvious that he'd be added this offseason either, but the Brewers obviously liked what they saw in 2024. He was added over someone like Shane Smith, who became the No. 1 pick in the Rule 5 draft by the Chicago White Sox and is now in their rotation. Smith is on track to make his Major League debut Tuesday.

Why isn't Chad Patrick appearing on any top prospect lists?

Most lists take age into consideration, and at 26, Patrick isn't in the typical age range of "prospect." More than that, the fourth-round pick in 2021 by the Arizona Diamondbacks had a rocky 2023 season in the minors, posting a 5.59 ERA over three stops and 26 games, with most of his work at Class AA.

Patrick battled injuries early in his career with the Diamondbacks and was traded to Oakland for another former Brewers player, Jace Peterson, in 2023. The Diamondbacks went on to beat the Brewers in the playoffs that season, though Peterson didn't play in the series.

Peterson was just hired by the Brewers in March as a consultant on the player development staff.

Why did Chad Patrick get added this year after the team optioned him in spring training?

Patrick was optioned to Nashville on March 9 and was preparing to make a 25-hour trek between Phoenix and Indiana before reporting to Class AAA. Then, he got a call that plans had changed.

The Brewers were hit with spring-training pitching injuries to Myers, Aaron Ashby and DL Hall, thinning the starting pitching ranks (and Aaron Civale in the meantime). Not only that, but José Quintana, who was signed once spring training was under way, isn't quite built up to a full workload and has agreed to continue that process in the minors, so he's been optioned to start the year. He'll be ready soon, but with Civale's injury, the Brewers are essentially down to two surefire starters, Freddy Peralta and Nestor Cortes.

Once Quintana is available, the team stands to lose Cortes for a short stretch while he attends to the birth of a child.