MILWAUKEE -- The Brewers hope to get back All-Star closer Devin Williams imminently -- and All-Star outfielder Christian Yelich eventually -- which helps to explain why GM Matt Arnold identified a different area as Milwaukee’s biggest need in the runup to next week’s Trade Deadline.

“It’s definitely some kind of hybrid or length option for the pitching staff,” Arnold said. “We’ve had 16 different guys start games for us so … it’s been challenging for us.”

Only Freddy Peralta -- who took the loss after allowing a pair of first-inning home runs in Friday’s 6-2 loss to the Marlins at American Family Field -- and Colin Rea have been in Milwaukee’s rotation all season long. Arnold praised Tobias Myers for his steady contribution since joining the rotation in late April, and said he believes Aaron Civale, acquired in a July 3 trade with the Rays, will be a big help in August and September.

The question for the remaining days before Tuesday’s Deadline is whether the Brewers will spend prospect capital to add another arm, or will count on those already in the organization. Top pitching prospect Jacob Misiorowski is an option later this season, Arnold has said, along with the pitchers nearing a return from the injured list. Williams leads the way in that group. Barring a setback in the wake of Friday’s scoreless, 16-pitch rehab outing for Triple-A Nashville, he could be ready for his season debut next.

The Brewers also have veteran righty Joe Ross and lefty DL Hall coming back soon; Ross could rejoin the rotation in the second half of the current homestand, while Hall is more likely to pitch as a multi-inning reliever when he’s ready to return from a bruised forearm.

“We have to continue to insulate that bullpen,” Arnold said.

Here are six more takeaways from the GM’s wide-ranging session:

1. The Brewers will exercise caution with Williams, who has been on the injured list all season with stress fractures in his back and has yet to pitch back-to-back days. Still, the return of the reigning National League Reliever of the Year just before the Trade Deadline “is a major addition for us,” Arnold said.

“I think that takes a lot of pressure off the back end of our bullpen,” he said.

2. Yelich, who landed on the injured list this week with a recurrence of back trouble, has a chance to play again this season after opting to attempt rehab instead of having surgery now, even though manager Pat Murphy said Monday that Yelich eventually will require surgery.

“His head and his heart are in the right place,” Arnold said. “He wants to help this team, it’s just whether his body responds. Certainly, there’s a lot of unknowns with what’s ahead for him, but he’s going to work hard to be back.”

3. The Brewers haven’t said what kind of surgery Yelich is considering or detailed whether the concern is muscular, or related to a disk or a nerve. Arnold said he believes it’s a combination of all of the above, and if surgery is required, “a lot of options are on the table right now.”

The preliminary hope, according to Arnold, is that surgery would require a three-month rehab, meaning Yelich would have a chance to be ready for 2025 even if he delays a procedure into the offseason. That’s one reason for Yelich to attempt a comeback this year.

4. This year’s Trade Deadline market is “tighter than it’s been in years past,” Arnold said, because of the number of teams on the fence about selling. That increases the likelihood of contenders swapping big league pieces.

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“We’ve had a lot of conversations that are need for need, surplus for surplus,” Arnold said.

5. The Brewers’ recent Trade Deadline deals for bullpen arms have gone bad, but that doesn’t mean they are closed to the idea. Arnold pointed out that so many of the Brewers’ current relievers came to the club via trade, including fill-in closer Trevor Megill, Joel Payamps, Bryse Wilson, Bryan Hudson and Elvis Peguero. The Brewers are also high on waiver claim J.B. Bukauskas, whose long road back from a shoulder injury hasn’t received much attention.

6. “We get a lot of calls on Willy,” said Arnold, referring to shortstop and free agent-to-be Willy Adames. But Arnold reiterated what he has been saying since last winter, that “it’s highly unlikely” the Brewers trade him.

“He’s the heartbeat of this team,” Arnold said. “He plays every day. His energy is something we could never replace. But again, you can never say never.”