Brewers pitching takes another hit as key starter goes on injured list with elbow problems
PITTSBURGH – The Milwaukee Brewers lost another starting pitcher to injury Monday, placing Wade Miley on the 15-day injured list with left elbow inflammation.
Miley, who has dealt with off-and-on elbow issues in recent years, said he is experiencing a new type of pain in his throwing elbow and plans to get imaging done Tuesday to determine the severity.
“It’s been going on for a little bit,” Miley said before the Brewers played the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park in Pittsburgh. “Probably after my first start in Cincinnati, I got some little flare up in between and didn't really get to throw a lot (in between) but recovered enough. Made my last (start), didn’t go the greatest. I had the rough first inning and I haven’t had a good day of catch since. Thought I was getting better. Some of the swelling got out of there. Threw a little bit yesterday, wasn’t great. Tried to go today, kind of the same deal. Hopefully we can take some time and get it figured out.”
Miley said the hope is that it’s just inflammation pushing around the nerve in his elbow, but it being a different type of pain than he’s dealt with during his issues with bone spurs adds some cause for concern.
And, of course, the nature of elbow injuries also naturally leads to some concern.
“It’s a new irritation. So it’s like, I don’t know,” Miley said. “I don’t want to be concerned. Obviously, the ugly thought probably ends (playing) for me, so I try not to take myself there right now. I don’t know if I’d be willing to go through something like that and I’m hoping it’s nothing to that extent.”
Tobias Myers was recalled from Class AAA Nashville. He will likely make his MLB debut and start Tuesday in Miley’s place. After that, the Brewers have unannounced starters for Wednesday and Thursday as they deal with a rash of pitching injuries.
DL Hall was placed on the IL with a left knee sprain Sunday. Jakob Junis, who was already on the IL with a right shoulder injury, was struck by a ball during batting practice and taken to the hospital. Robert Gasser, one of the team’s top prospects who likely would have made his MLB debut by now, is returning from an elbow injury and is at least a week away from being used by the Brewers.
“It seems like we really haven’t had the best of luck with pitching injuries,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said. “That gives us eight guys out in our top 15.”
For now, the pitching plan for the Brewers is that they don’t really have a set plan.
“It’s going to be a moving target,” Murphy said. “And I think our construction project is going to continue to be a challenging one.”
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Brewers' Wade Miley goes on injured list with left elbow inflammation
