The Milwaukee Brewers announced Monday that veteran left-handed pitcher Chris Capuano will open the season on the team’s opening-day roster.
“With ‘Cappy,’ we’re getting versatility; we’re getting a great teammate.” manager Craig Counsell said. “We think he’s an old dog we can teach some new tricks to. All of those factors combined make Cappy a guy we wanted on this roster.”
The 37-year-old Capuano is in his second go-around with the Brewers. He not only becomes the oldest member of the team, but with Will Smith sidelined with a knee injury, he becomes the only left-handed reliever to start the season on the roster.
Capuano has posed a 1.69 ERA in seven appearances (10 2/3 ip) this spring. He’s been scored on just once and that came early on (March 7).
Capuano’s biggest role may come in the form of a mentor, helping the young pitchers to bounce back after a tough outing.
Capuano went 44-48 with a 4.34 ERA in 139 appearances with the Brewers from 2004-2010, including 120 starts. He’s had to battle back from Tommy John surgery twice and pitched in one all-star game, as a Brewer in 2006. His best season came in 2005, when he went 18-12 with a 3.99 ERA in a league-leading 35 starts.
In 76 career relief appearances, Capuano is 2-6 with a 4.74 ERA.
