Miley will join rotation; Suter heads to bullpen
CHICAGO – If not for a groin injury at the end of spring training, left-hander
Wade Miley would have opened the season in the Brewers’ starting rotation.
Accordingly, it was not surprising Sunday when the Brewers announced Miley, now healthy, would be joining the rotation and starting Wednesday in Cincinnati. Left-hander Brent Suter, who has the highest earned run average (5.34) among the starters, will move to bullpen duty, a role he has filled in the past.
“Wade had a good camp, and at that point had impressed us to the point where he most likely would have made the team,” manager Craig Counsell said. “He, unfortunately, got injured, but he has gone out and, once healthy, has pitched like he did in spring training.
“I think he earned the opportunity. We thought he threw the ball very well in camp. We thought he threw the ball well on Friday night in Biloxi. It adds another arm we think is a good option.”
Counsell referred to the third rehab outing by Miley for the Class AA Shuckers, in which he shut out Birmingham on two hits over six innings with 11 strikeouts. Overall, he was 1-1 with a 3.09 ERA in the three starts at Biloxi.
With the exception of one outing vs. Cincinnati, in which he allowed seven runs in three innings, Miley threw the ball well in exhibition play. He had a 2.12 ERA with 18 strikeouts in 17 innings in his other five games and was about to be added to the roster before suffering the groin injury fielding a bunt in the final week of camp.
The Brewers must make room for Miley on both the 40-man and majorleague rosters but won’t do so until they have to on Wednesday. The club guaranteed the $2.5 million salary agreed upon on Miley’s minor-league deal signed just before spring training, and he has another $3.2 million in incentives that max out at 190 innings and 28 starts.
Miley is expected to join the team Tuesday in Cincinnati.
Suter, who went exactly five innings in five starts and 51⁄ in the other, has
3 made 20 relief appearances in the majors, including eight last season.
“I think Brent can have an impact in the bullpen,” Counsell said. “He did OK as a starter. There were some good moments and some tough moments. I think he can really help us in the bullpen. He has performed in that role. He is a good piece that we don’t have down there that fits very well.”
Suter had his heart set on starting this season and bulked up over the winter to do so but said he'd make the adjustment to relieving again.
"I'm happy to join a unit that's really pitching for each other right now," he said. "It's great camaraderie down there. Wade has earned it, too. We're all going to be pulling for him to help this team win. This isn't a new thing for me, so that helps."
Hitters must perk up: Though Miley will provide a veteran lefty for the rotation, pitching hasn’t been the Brewers’ problem. Entering play Sunday, they ranked second in the National League with a 3.17 ERA, including 3.64 (fifth) by the starters and 2.50 (second) by the bullpen.
The offense, however, ranked 12th in the NL with 107 runs despite the Brewers being tied for playing the most games (28). During their recent eightgame winning streak, the Brewers averaged 5.63 runs per game. In their other 20 games, they averaged only 3.1 runs per game. Overall, they were averaging 3.82 runs per game, before the 4.00 mark that usually separates winners from losers.
“Second base, shortstop, catcher, right field, we just haven’t got going yet,” Counsell said. “We’re going to have to get guys going. That’s a big part of this. It’s been season-long things, not just the last three days. We’ve got to get some spots in the lineup going. You've got to get production up and down the lineup."
Outfielders Lorenzo Cain and Christian Yelich were added over the off-season to help balance the offense and make the team not so reliant on home runs to score. But the Brewers ranked 11th in the NL in both OBP (.305) and OPS (.685).
“I think if you’re at 100 plate appearances, we can start evaluating,” Counsell said. “I think that’s fair. We’ve got to get production out of spots.”
MBHA special meeting: The Milwaukee Braves’ Historical Association is holding a special event Tuesday evening at J&B’s Blue Ribbon Bar and Grill on 53rd St. and Bluemound Rd. There will be a buffet dinner at 5 p.m. followed by a film showing the television broadcast from Game 7 of the 1957 World Series between the Braves and Yankees as well as a highlight film of the 1951 Little World Series champion Brewers.
Admission to the event is $10, including the buffet dinner. Those interested in attending should contact Mike Fuss at 608-669-4141 or MFuss@tds.net.