Injuries & Moves: Voit designated for assignment
LATEST NEWS
May 29: 1B Luke Voit designated for assignment; LHP Alex Claudio clears waivers, sent outright to Triple-A Nashville
The Brewers signed Voit in Spring Training hoping he would buck his career trend of hitting right-handers better than left-handers, and it didn't work. Voit was 3-for-33 with 20 strikeouts against left-handed pitching before landing on the injured list earlier this month with a stiff neck. He'd been playing lately for Triple-A Nashville on rehab assignment.
May 28: DH Jesse Winker (neck discomfort), INF Owen Miller (bruised right forearm) day to day
Winker was a late scratch on Sunday with discomfort in his neck that began last week, which is notable considering he had surgery last fall to replace a damaged disc. The Brewers intend to be "cautious" with it, manager Craig Counsell said, considering that history, and Winker was probably due for a couple of days off because the team has an open date Monday before facing a left-hander (Toronto's Yusei Kikuchi) on Tuesday at the start of a road trip.
Miller had two RBIs and scored a couple of runs in Sunday's win over the Giants but had to leave the game after he was hit by a pitch in the fourth inning. The Brewers said the move was precautionary, and that Miller had no signs of a fracture. Miller has been a bright spot for the Brewers, reaching safely in 29 of his 32 starts.
May 27: SS Willy Adames discharged from hospital and placed on 7-day concussion IL; INF Andruw Monasterio recalled from Triple-A Nashville; LHP Ethan Small optioned to Triple-A Nashville; RHP Jake Cousins recalled from Triple-A Nashville
Adames was home resting by midday Saturday, which qualified as great news after he was struck in the head by a foul ball while leaning on the dugout railing during Friday's loss to the Giants at American Family Field. Rookie Brice Turang will play the bulk of shortstop during Adames' absence, but Monasterio, who is in the big leagues for the first time in his ninth professional season, is a capable backup.
"I'm so happy I can't put it into words. I'm just happy the Brewers gave me this opportunity to be a big league player," said Monasterio, who called his mother and sister in Caracas, Venezuela when he got the news very late Friday night. "[Adames' injury] is a very sad moment. It's a situation we don't want to be part of. I hope for Willy a speedy recovery. I hope to see him here soon."
Small was optioned back down after surrendering nine hits and five runs in three innings of Friday's 15-1 loss in the interest of a fresh arm in Cousins.
INJURY UPDATES
7-day IL
SS Willy Adames (concussion)
Expected return: As early as June 3
Adames was struck in the head by a foul ball while leaning against the dugout rail during the second inning of the Brewers' 15-1 loss to the Giants on May 26 and was hospitalized overnight. He did not suffer any fractures, the Brewers said, and was back home resting a day later. Adames was back at American Family Field on Sunday morning to reconnect with teammates, but the idea was that he would continue to rest at home during the Brewers' May 30-June 1 series in Toronto before "hopefully" rejoining the team on June 2 in Cincinnati. He's eligible to come off the IL beginning June 3. (Last updated: May 28)
10-day and 15-day IL
LHP Eric Lauer (right shoulder impingement)
Expected return: Late June
After sputtering for much of this season, Lauer landed on the injured list with an impingement in his non-throwing shoulder, which he and the team believes contributed to his uneven performance. Lauer started making good progress during the week of May 22 and was expected to resume throwing off the mound during the team's May 30-June 5 road trip to Toronto and Cincinnati before potentially heading off to an affiliate the following week. (Last updated: May 28)
RHP Matt Bush (right shoulder)
Expected return: Mid June
Bush has been stumped by his diminished velocity this season, but he said he wasn't hurting until a rough outing against the Red Sox on April 23 when he surrendered two home runs and the first four of Boston's nine runs in the decisive eighth inning of a Brewers loss. He went very slowly at the start of his IL stint, but resumed throwing on May 16 and was making good progress by the time the Brewers finished a homestand on May 28. Bush was to travel with the Brewers to Toronto and Cincinnati to begin throwing bullpens, and then could be ready to pitch for an affiliate the week of June 6. (Last updated: May 28)
RHP J.B. Bukauskas (cervical strain)
Expected return: TBD
Bukauskas landed on the IL before throwing his first Brewers pitch. His injury is more commonly called whiplash in layman's terms. (Last updated: May 20)
LHP Wade Miley (anterior serratus)
Expected return: July
Miley was back in Milwaukee for an MRI scan on May 17, a day after exiting his start in St. Louis during the second inning with discomfort behind his left shoulder. In 2022, he spent about four months on the IL with elbow and shoulder injuries while pitching for the Cubs. The diagnosis is rare for a baseball player, especially a thrower, meaning there could be some "wiggle room" in Miley's timeline for recovery, manager Craig Counsell said. (Last updated: May 19)
60-day IL
RHP Brandon Woodruff (right shoulder inflammation)
Expected return: After the All-Star break
The 30-year-old said he felt shoulder tightness after his April 7 start against St. Louis, and an April 12 MRI exam yielded a more serious diagnosis than initially expected: Woodruff has a sub-scapular muscle strain that requires a long rehab.
A follow-up MRI on April 26 showed encouraging progress, so Woodruff resumed activities that both he and the Brewers hope will lead to a return to the Major League rotation by the end of June. He had to take a four- to five-day break from throwing in mid-May, but he was back to throwing as of May 24 and said, "I can say that mind and body, I'm in a good place." The Brewers are not targeting the All-Star break for his return to the rotation. (Last updated: May 28)
INF Luis Urías (left hamstring)
Expected return: Early June
Urías began a rehab assignment by playing all nine innings for Triple-A Nashville on May 25 after getting some at-bats in extended spring training in Arizona. He is eligible to come off the 60-day injured list on May 30 but the Brewers may opt to play him more in the Minors, manager Craig Counsell said on May 27. The decision will hinge in part on the situation at the Major League level; Brewers starting shortstop Willy Adames was placed on the 7-day concussion IL on May 27 after being struck by a foul ball, so the Brewers may face a need at shortstop if they absorb any more injuries.
Urías felt his hamstring give out while running out a grounder on Opening Day, and an MRI exam revealed what Counsell called a “solid” strain that would keep the infielder sidelined until late May in the best-case scenario. On April 18, that timeline was cemented when the Brewers shifted Urías to the 60-day injured list in order to free a 40-man roster spot. (Last updated: May 27)
LHP Aaron Ashby (left shoulder)
Expected return: September at the earliest
Ashby will begin rehabbing over the next six weeks after undergoing successful surgery on his left shoulder on April 7. The Brewers plan to reevaluate him after that period, at which time the left-hander will begin a six-week throwing program at the team's Spring Training facility. As of a May 17 update, Ashby had been cleared to begin playing catch on Monday, May 22. (Last updated: May 17)
CF Garrett Mitchell (left shoulder subluxation)
Expected return: Late September at the earliest
Mitchell's left shoulder popped out of the joint during the Brewers' game against the Mariners on April 18, and an MRI revealed significant damage to his labrum -- enough to necessitate surgery on May 2 that could sideline him for the remainder of the season.
Mitchell was originally hurt on a slide into third base in the top of the 10th inning, then he played center field in the bottom of the inning but had to leave the game when the shoulder again slipped out of joint on a throw home. Mitchell was placed on the injured list on April 19 and had a second opinion before opting for surgery. He was moved to the 60-day IL on April 30. (Last updated: May 4) More >>
LHP Justin Wilson (left elbow)
Expected return: July
Wilson signed with the Brewers in the midst of his comeback from Tommy John surgery and is targeting the second half to pitch in the Majors for Milwaukee. He was progressing nicely in his flat-ground throwing program as of the week of March 12. The lefty was transferred to the 60-day IL on April 1. (Last updated: April 1)
RHP Jason Alexander (right rotator cuff)
Expected return: Late May or early June
Alexander made 18 appearances including 11 starts for the Brewers last season and was part of their pitching depth going into 2023. But he's sidelined after reporting shoulder discomfort as he began throwing in January. The Brewers transferred him to the 60-day injured list on Feb. 18 to free a 40-man roster spot. (Last updated: Feb. 18)