Injuries & Moves: Yelich exits Tuesday with tight back
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July 23: OF Christian Yelich exits early vs. Cubs
Yelich, in a 1-for-20 funk while fighting the latest flare-up of his back, had to exit Tuesday's 1-0 win over the Cubs and is a candidate for the injured list, per manager Pat Murphy.
Yelich, serving as the designated hitter for the seventh straight game dating to before the All-Star break, walked his first two times up before hitting a comebacker in the sixth inning and trotting gingerly to first base. When Rhys Hoskins pinch-hit in that spot against a right-hander two innings later, it was a sign that Yelich was banged up. On Monday, Murphy said the issue involved a nerve.
July 23: RHP Joel Kuhnel claimed off waivers by the Rays
The 29-year-old was twice called up to the Major League club by the Brewers but never pitched before he was designated for assignment to clear a spot for lefty Jared Koenig's return from the injured list.
10-DAY/15-DAY INJURED LIST
C Gary Sánchez (left calf strain)
Expected return: Wednesday vs. Cubs
Sánchez has been sidelined since June 25, but rejoined the Brewers in Chicago after the All-Star break and is expected to come off the injured list to start the team's July 24 series finale against the Cubs and lefty starter Justin Steele. (Last updated: July 23)
RHP Enoli Paredes (right forearm tendonitis)
Expected return: TBD
Paredes has been excellent since a call-up from Triple-A Nashville, posting a 1.08 ERA in 14 appearances. But he walked a pair of batters and surrendered a hit while recording only one out during a July 2 appearance at Coors Field before landing on the IL the next day, making him the latest in a series of Brewers pitchers sidelined by elbow or forearm issues. (Last updated: July 3)
60-DAY INJURED LIST
RHP Devin Williams (back stress fractures)
Expected return: Late July
The Brewers' closer, who won the Trevor Hoffman Award as the best closer in the National League with 36 saves and a 1.53 ERA last season, took another significant step in his comeback when he threw live batting practice to Brewers hitters Jake Bauers and Andruw Monasterio on July 9. A series of Minor League rehabilitation outings is next for Williams, who began that assignment with one inning for High-A Wisconsin on July 14, striking out the side on 14 pitches (nine strikes). He had the rehab moved to Triple-A Nashville on July 20.
Asked about the schedule beyond that, manager Pat Murphy responded by asking how many outings a closer typically makes in Spring Training. The consensus answer was six to eight.
"I think we're going to get him back sooner than that. Exciting," Murphy said on July 14. "What do I expect to see? Health, attack the zone. Get out there and have the experience of being out there in a competitive game. I think every outing will be a buildup, another challenge." (Last updated: July 20)
INF Oliver Dunn (back strain)
Expected return: TBD
Dunn was placed on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to June 19, on June 26, then transferred to the 60-day IL on July 15. In 41 games with the big league club this season, he's slashed .221/.282/.316 with seven RBIs and six walks. (Last updated: July 15)
LHP DL Hall (left knee sprain)
Expected return: Mid-July
Hall, who'd been struggling to establish himself as a starter before he tweaked his left knee fielding a bunt on April 20, was supposed to make one final rehab start for Triple-A Nashville on July 9 before the Brewers considered bringing him back to the Majors. But he left that outing in the third inning after being struck on the pitching forearm by a comebacker. The early diagnosis was a contusion, and subsequent X-rays confirmed there was no fracture. Hall was to be shut down for 3-10 days, per manager Pat Murphy, while regaining strength in that arm. (Last updated: July 10)
RHP Joe Ross (low back strain)
Expected return: Late July at the earliest
Ross was placed on the IL on May 21 after he exited his May 20 start having thrown just one inning (15 pitches). The Brewers had hoped he would be ready to return from the IL during the team's June 17-23 trip against the Angels and Padres, but he had a setback and was shifted to the 60-day IL on June 26. Ross began a rehabilitation assignment on July 6 with High-A Wisconsin and was transferred to Triple-A Nashville on July 10. (Last updated: July 10)
RHP J.B. Bukauskas (right shoulder inflammation)
Expected return: TBD
Bukauskas began a rehab assignment at Triple-A Nashville on June 13 and reported feeling fine after pitching his one scheduled inning, but he woke up the next morning in significant discomfort and returned to Milwaukee for an MRI scan on June 15. That scan came back clean, manager Pat Murphy said on June 17, a bit of good news that means Bukauskas will be able to resume throwing once his discomfort subsides. As of a July 4 update, Bukauskas was still not on the mound. (Last updated: July 4)
LHP Robert Gasser (left flexor strain; No. 5 on Brewers Top Prospects list)
Expected return: 2025
After electing to undergo season-ending Tommy John surgery on the advice of two of the top orthopedic surgeons in the country, Gasser had his procedure -- a standard UCL repair without the brace -- on June 24 and is expected to miss 12-14 months, according to Brewers manager Pat Murphy. It's an unfortunate blow for the 25-year-old left-hander, who was 2-0 with a 2.57 ERA in five Brewers starts beginning with his May 10 Major League debut against the Cardinals.
"I feel bad for the kid," Murphy said. "Think about all the fresh faces we've had up here this year, and nobody had the first five starts like he did. That hurts." (Last updated: June 25)
LHP Wade Miley (torn UCL)
Expected return: 2025
Miley will miss the remainder of 2024 due to UCL surgery, which typically requires a 10- to 12-month rehab. The surgery was completed on May 7 in Cincinnati, with Dr. Timothy Kremchek operating. Miley underwent testing April 23 on his left elbow to try to diagnose inflammation that he said felt different from the usual bone spurs-related pain he has tried to manage for the past three to four years, and the results initially came back inconclusive on April 24.
Miley flew to Cincinnati that day to have an in-person meeting with doctors and undergo an arthrogram to assess the integrity of the ligaments in the region, which confirmed the structural damage. He was transferred to the 60-day IL on April 30. (Last updated: May 7)
RHP Brandon Woodruff (right shoulder)
Expected return: Late 2024 or 2025
Woodruff underwent shoulder surgery on his throwing arm in October 2023 and was non-tendered by the Brewers the following month. He signed a two-year deal with the club on Feb. 21, when he was placed on the 60-day IL, and will rehab in Milwaukee throughout the season after beginning a throwing program in mid-February. (Last updated: Feb. 21)