Brewers' Thames, Anderson among NLDS roster omissions

The Milwaukee Brewers released their 25-man roster on Thursday for the National League Division Series against the Colorado Rockies, and there are some notable omissions.

Starters Chase Anderson and Zach Davies will not appear in the series, and neither will slugger Eric Thames.

Anderson was second on the team in innings pitched with 158 and posted a 3.93 ERA over 30 starts. Davies was limited to 66 innings due to a shoulder injury that kept him out of big-league action from late May until September.

Thames has seen his usage dwindle since the trade deadline, as he made only two starts in September while otherwise being relegated to pinch-hit duties. He hit .219/.306/.478 with 16 home runs after blasting 31 long balls in his first season with Milwaukee in 2017.

Outfielder Curtis Granderson, acquired from the Toronto Blue Jays in August, will likely serve as a left-handed bat off the bench in lieu of Thames.

Another relatively notable absence is that of reliever Taylor Williams. The rookie right-hander threw 53 innings in relief for the Brewers this year, posting a 4.25 ERA.

Manager Craig Counsell said the toughest decision was leaving reliever Xavier Cedeno off the roster, according to Adam McCalvy of MLB.com. Instead, he'll look to use lefties Gio Gonzalez and Wade Miley out of the bullpen over the first two games if needed.

The NLDS kicks off Thursday night when the Brewers send right-handed reliever Brandon Woodruff to serve as the game's opener. He does have experience starting, both in the majors and minors, so he could end up pitching multiple innings.