Brewers' Devin Williams: Starting rehab assignment Saturday

Williams (back) will begin a rehab assignment with High-A Wisconsin on Saturday, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.

After he tossed a live batting practice session Tuesday in Milwaukee without incident, Williams will move on to the final stage in his prolonged recovery from a pair of stress fractures in his back, an injury he suffered in spring training. As a late-inning reliever, Williams won't require an extensive buildup, but he's still likely to remain on his minor-league rehab assignment once the Brewers open their post-All-Star-break schedule July 20. A return from the 60-day injured list before the end of July can't be discounted, however, especially if Williams looks healthy and pitches effectively during his time in the minors. Once activated, Williams should settle back in as Milwaukee's closer after he racked up 51 saves and posted a 1.73 ERA and 0.96 WHIP in 126 appearances between the 2022 and 2023 seasons.