Houser struck out two and allowed one hit and no walks over two scoreless relief innings in Wednesday's 6-1 win over the Pirates.
In his return from the injured list Aug. 24, Houser started and was blasted by the Dodgers for five runs on five hits and four walks en route to his ninth loss of the season. After that outing, manager Craig Counsell didn't specify what Houser's role would be moving forward, but the right-hander's usage out of the bullpen Wednesday would seemingly imply that he no longer has a hold on a rotation spot. Jason Alexander stepped in as the Brewers' new No. 5 starter Tuesday and will be rewarded with a second turn through the rotation Sunday in Arizona after he limited the Pirates to one run while allowing five baserunners over five frames in a no-decision.