Nature is healing. Or, at least the Brewers are.

One day after Milwaukee activated catcher Manny Piña from the injured list, the club announced Sunday morning that starting pitcher Brett Anderson was activated from the 10-day IL and would be on the bump for a Mother’s Day start against the Marlins. In a corresponding move, the Brewers optioned right-hander Alec Bettinger to Triple-A Nashville.

Anderson hadn’t pitched in over two weeks, so Milwaukee took a conservative approach working the left-hander back into the rotation. He tossed three scoreless innings against Miami, allowing two hits and one walk while striking out three.

“It's not a ‘Just let him go,’ like he's been healthy,” Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. “He's coming off the injured list, [after] missing two weeks, so we'll be cautious with him."

Anderson exited his last start, against the Cubs on April 23, with a right leg injury after facing just four batters. Though Anderson became one of 19 Brewers players to go on the IL before the team had played its 28th game of the season, his injury was the first in a line of IL stints for the rotation.

His injury came at the start of a stretch of 17 games in 17 days for Milwaukee, so the rotation was going to be strained. Zack Godley was called up from the alternate training site on April 28, and made the first start for a pitcher outside of the main rotation. By the end of the day, Counsell said Godley himself was headed to the IL after getting hit on his right index finger during a bunt attempt.

The next day, Corbin Burnes was placed on the IL without an injury designation. Not only did it come in the middle of the seemingly endless stretch of games and injuries, but Burnes was put on the shelf still two strikeouts shy of Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen’s all-time record for most strikeouts to start a season without issuing a walk (51).

“It’s what happens during a season. Everything that happens in a season happened during the 17 games, I think,” Counsell said. “You know these stretches are challenging. We’ve got some guys who are banged up who could use a day off, for sure.”

With a number of players still on the IL for various amounts of time, Anderson’s return was positive news for a team who can use all it can get. He is 2-2 on the year with a 4.15 ERA, and though he has just eight strikeouts compared to four walks, the Brewers should welcome any sense of stability health-wise.

Bettinger now heads down to the Minors, after making two appearances with Milwaukee over the past week. His first was a start on May 2 against the Dodgers. In just four innings, Bettinger was tagged for 11 earned runs and 11 hits. He had a much better outing out of the bullpen on Friday, pitching three innings of one-run ball in the series-opening loss to Miami.

“Essentially, [Bettinger] just had completed his Spring Training when we called him up. He was just on the edge of being ready,” Counsell said. “He was healthy and ready to pitch, but hadn’t pitched in a game situation, really, in over a year, so that was probably the tough part about it. These two outings serve as experience.”

Quick hitter
• Counsell also provided an update on injured left fielder Christian Yelich, who is still dealing with back issues that have kept him out of all but one game since April 11.

“He has played catch; he’s not hitting right now" Counsell said. "He’s active, but the training staff switched up some of his exercises in a hope to improve his healing, really. He’s doing good; he was very active yesterday. So it’s really activity and increasing activity, and then see what happens after the activity.”