Crew shifts Burgos to bullpen with upcoming off-days

MILWAUKEE -- A pair of off-days in the span of four days next week has prompted the Brewers to temporarily shift right-hander Hiram Burgos to the bullpen.

It is definitely not a demotion. In his first three Major League starts, Burgos was 1-0 with a 3.00 ERA, 13 strikeouts and three walks. He lost two more victories to blown saves.

"We talked to Burgos today, and the reasoning is that if we don't slide somebody back, I have [Kyle] Lohse and [Yovani] Gallardo going on their seventh day, and we really don't want to do that," manager Ron Roenicke said. "I don't mind bumping all of them one day, but when you do it two days, it starts affecting the starters."

A two-game series against Texas is sandwiched between the off-days. Wily Peralta will pitch Tuesday against the Rangers and Lohse on Wednesday.

The Brewers won't require a fifth starter again until a week later -- on May 14 at Pittsburgh. They could slot Burgos back into the mix a bit earlier, on May 12 in Cincinnati, if they choose to give Peralta and the rest of the starters and extra day of rest.

Burgos will be available in relief for the two-game Rangers series.

The Brewers could have just as easily bumped Peralta, who surrendered six runs on 11 singles in a tough-luck outing against the Cardinals on Thursday night. But Roenicke said Peralta, who had delivered quality starts in each of his previous two outings, was never considered for a temporary move to the bullpen.

Club officials did discuss a variety of options for Burgos.

"We could have also sent him down and got a bullpen guy up and have him start [at Triple-A]," Roenicke said, "but we like what he's done for us, and he's been good out of the bullpen [in the World Baseball Classic]. So we thought we'll keep him here, and that way we'll have the option of sliding him in there when we think it is right."