CLEVELAND -- Just when the Brewers thought they were rounding the corner on their injury woes, there’s a new one to worry about.
The team placed veteran left-hander Jose Quintana on the 15-day injured list Wednesday with a left shoulder impingement and recalled righty Tobias Myers, who’d just been demoted to Triple-A Nashville on Sunday. While the Quintana move was backdated to May 11, it means he won’t start as scheduled on Saturday against the Twins at American Family Field.
That game was originally earmarked for right-hander Brandon Woodruff’s return from a multi-year rehab from shoulder surgery, but he was derailed by a right ankle injury and the assignment went to Quintana, who would have been pitching on three extra days of rest after developing some shoulder discomfort prior to his most recent start against the Rays. Quintana used the extra time to get treatment and was expected to test the shoulder in a bullpen session on Wednesday morning before the Brewers’ series finale in Cleveland.
Whether that session went poorly or didn’t happen at all was not immediately clear, but the result was that Quintana became the sixth starting pitcher to land on the IL since the start of Spring Training, joining DL Hall (left lat), Aaron Ashby (right oblique), Myers (left oblique), Aaron Civale (left hamstring) and Nestor Cortes (left elbow).
That’s on top of the two starters, Woodruff and rookie Robert Gasser (right elbow), who began the year on the IL while recovering from surgeries. And it’s also on top of Rule 5 pick Connor Thomas, who might have made a spot start or two this season had he not landed on the IL with a left elbow injury.
Add that all up, and it’s nine length options who have missed significant time for the Brewers, who played their 44th game of the regular season on Wednesday.
There are positive developments on the horizon, barring more setbacks. Civale and Hall were scheduled to start Wednesday’s doubleheader games for Nashville, and Ashby was expected to get work in one of those games. Civale will probably make at least one more rehab start after that before the Brewers consider bringing him back to the Major League rotation, and Ashby and Hall are working toward long relief roles.
Woodruff might not be far behind if his ankle cooperates. By rule he cannot pitch for an affiliate for seven days after the expiration of his first 30-day rehab assignment, but once that pause is over he should be able to resume with Nashville.