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Brewers to be without Woodruff for up to six weeks

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The Milwaukee Brewers All-Star right-handed pitcher Brandon Woodruff was placed on the 10-day injured list with a left oblique strain.  Woodruff’s stay on the injured list will be considerably longer.

Brewers manager Craig Counsell said Woodruff is expected to miss about six weeks.  The Brewers recalled RHP Burch Smith from Triple-A San Antonio to fill the open roster spot.

Woodruff had turned into the Brewers top pitcher this season, posting an 11-3 record with a 3.75 ERA.

Now, we’ll see if president of baseball operations David Stearns will place a top priority on acquiring a starter before the July 31st trade deadline, or try to add to the bullpen.  The Brewers do get some off days in August, which will allow the Brewers to go to a four-man rotation for a while.

Brewers fall to Cardinals, must deal with struggling Burnes

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Craig Counsell

Corbin Burnes allowed two more home runs and made it through just 3 2/3 innings on Wednesday as the Milwaukee Brewers fell to the St. Louis Cardinals 6-3 in their series finale at Miller Park.

Burnes has now surrendered 11 home runs in his four starts and is now 0-2 with an ERA that has climbed to 10.70.

Marcell Ozuna and Matt Carpenter clubbed home runs off of Burnes on Wednesday.  The Cardinals as a team, banged out 15 hits in all, nine off of Burnes.

Last season, Burnes was a star in the Brewers bullpen, going 7-0 with a 2.61 ERA in 30 appearances.  As a starter this season, Burnes has had nothing but struggles.

The Brewers right-hander has struggled to locate his fastball, leaving the ball out over the plate far too often.  Ten of the 11 home runs that he has allowed, have come on fastballs. [Read more…]

Brewers’ Nelson suffers arm fatigue

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Jimmy Nelson

Milwaukee Brewers right-handed pitcher Jimmy Nelson has been shut down for a few days after experiencing what is being termed “arm fatigue” by team officials.

Nelson is trying to make his way back from a shoulder injury that saw him miss the entire 2018 season while recovering from surgery.

GM David Stearns told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that he’s not concerned right now.  They’re skipping a bullpen session and will wait until Nelson feels he’s ready to throw again.

“He didn’t play catch over the weekend,” manager Craig Counsell said.  “There was just a little discomfort, and so we just went slow.  It’s a very minor setback, and he’ll be back out tomorrow playing catch and moving forward again.

“I think he is close to pitching in a game, but it’s not going to be this week.  He’s going to have to face hitters first, so he’s got some steps to go.  Look, we’re being conservative.  That’s first.  There’s no red flags beyond that.  It was really just three days we’ve slowed him down.

“It’s just part of the bumps in the road in this thing that we need to get through.” [Read more…]

Stearns, Schlesinger land promotions from Brewers

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David Stearns

The Milwaukee Brewers recent success on and off the field has landed two key front office figures promotions.

David Stearns helped lead the Brewers to within one win of the World Series, was promoted from General Manager to President of Baseball Operations and General Manager.  Stearns first joined the Brewers in 2015.

Schlesinger just announced a new 15-year ballpark naming rights deal on Tuesday, was promoted from Chief Operating Officer to President of Business Operations.  He will be entering his 17th year with the team.

Both Stearns and Schlesinger were both given raises and contract extensions in their new positions.

The promotion of Stearns made perfect sense in a number of areas for the Brewers.  A number of teams had shown interest in hiring Stearns.  His new promotion will keep other teams from trying to steal him away from Milwaukee.

Brewers announce coaching changes

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Darnell Coles

Milwaukee Brewers general manager David Stearns announced that hitting coach Darnell Coles has resigned as the teams hitting coach and bullpen coach Lee Tunnell didn’t have his contract renewed.

The Brewers also announced that head athletic trainer Dan Wright will not return.

Assistant hitting coach Jason Lane will be considered for Coles replacement but was told that he is free to pursue other opportunities.

The 56-year-old Coles was in his fourth season as the Brewers’ hitting coach.

The Brewers finished seventh in the National League with 754 runs scored.  They were second in home runs with 218 and third in total bases with 2,352.  But the team struggled with runners in scoring position, ranking 11th (.246).

Coles told the Brewers he was ready for a new challenge.

 

Gonzalez will start series opener

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The Milwaukee Brewers will send left-hander Gio Gonzalez to the mound in game one of the National League Championship Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Miller Park.

Since being acquired from Washington on August 31, Gonzalez went 3-0 with a 2.13 ERA in five starts for the Brewers.

“We like the matchup against their lineup,” said manager Craig Counsell.  “It’s no secret that we’re going to use our pitching a little differently than the traditionalists would like.  And so far, the first matchup that we liked was Gio on the mound.

Gonzalez didn’t face the Dodgers this season. [Read more…]

Davies suffers setback

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Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Zach Davies was scheduled to pitch for Class A Wisconsin on a rehab assignment on Friday.  Instead, Davies will skip that start and undergo an MRI to try to figure out what is causing his ongoing back stiffness.

Davies first went on the disabled list on May 30 with a shoulder issue.  During his rehab process, he began experiencing lower back tightness, which has been a concern since then.

Davies won 17 games for the Brewers a year ago but has made only eight starts this year, posting a 2-5 record and a 5.23 ERA.

After losing Brent Suter with a UCL injury, it leaves Brewers general manager David Stearns potentially pursuing a starter before the MLB trade deadline at the end of the month.

 

Thames could miss two months with thumb injury

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Eric Thames

The Milwaukee Brewers received more bad news on the injury front on Wednesday.  An MRI showed first baseman Eric Thames suffered a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his left thumb.  It’s an injury that could keep him out for two months.

Thames was placed on the 10-day disabled list.  The Brewers recalled right-hander Brandon Woodruff from Triple-A Colorado Springs.

Thames is scheduled to undergo further testing today to determine if surgery on the thumb is necessary.  General Manager David Stearns said surgery isn’t a definite, but it is likely.

Washington’s Bryce harper missed two months in 2014 with the same injury.  In 2017, Mike Trout suffered the same injury but missed just six weeks time.

Thames suffered the injury Tuesday night while trying to dive for a ground ball in the eighth inning.  He jammed his glove hand into the ground while making the play, suffering the injury.

Thames is hitting .250, leading the team with seven home runs.  In his absence, Jesus Aguilar will serve as the primary first baseman with Ryan Braun likely making some occasional starts there.

It’s possible the Brewers could give first baseman Ji-Man Choi a chance.  Choi is playing at AAA Colorado Springs.

 

 

Braun open to moving back to infield

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Ryan Braun: Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI

The recent additions of Christian Yelich and Lorenzo Cain give the Brewers a lot of depth in the outfield.  To alleviate the potential logjam, General Manager David Stearns confirmed on Friday that he had discussed with Ryan Braun, the idea of the veteran player to give first base a try in spring training.

At Sunday’s “Brewers On Deck” event, Braun said he’s ready to give it a shot if it helps the team.

Braun was drafted as an infielder and was named the National League’s Rookie of the Year in 2007 as a third baseman.  But he moved to the outfield in 2008 and hasn’t returned since.

The addition of Yelich and Cain means the Brewers will have two starters already set.  Then there’s Braun, Domingo Santana, Brett Phillips and Keon Broxton.

Santana has been floated as trade bait all off-season, but if he should return, the Brewers are going to want to have some flexibility.  Santana played in 151 games last season as the teams right fielder.  He hit .278 with 30 home runs and 85 RBI. [Read more…]

Brewers sign Chase Anderson to multi-year deal

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Chase Anderson (File) Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI

The Milwaukee Brewers have signed right-handed pitcher Chase Anderson to a two-year contract through the 2019 season with club options for 2020 and 2021.

“Signing Chase to a multi-year contract furthers our strategy to acquire, develop and retain talent throughout our organization,” said general manager David Stearns.  “Chase’s 2017 performance elevated his stature in the game and demonstrated that he has the capability to lead a rotation.  Since he arrived in Milwaukee, Chase has been a model contributor to our community both on and off the field.  We are happy for him and his family and look forward to Chase’s contributions for years to come.”

The 29-year-old Anderson, who was eligible for arbitration, went 12-4 with a 2.74 ERA in 25 starts for the Brewers in 2017.  He set career highs for wins and strikeouts (133) and tied his career high with 13 quality starts.  Anderson has gone 17-5 with a 2.69 ERA over his last 37 starts dating back to July 25, 2016.  His ERA since that date ranks fourth in the Major Leagues among starting pitchers (minimum 35 starts).

Anderson was acquired from Arizona as part of a five-player trade on January 30, 2016.  He owns a career record of 36-28 with a 3.87 ERA in 104 games (103 starts) with Arizona (2014-15) and Milwaukee (2016-current).  He is 21-15 with a 3.59 ERA in 56 games (55 starts) as a Brewer.