Knebel takes another step toward return
CINCINNATI - Corey Knebel took a notable step toward returning to the Milwaukee Brewers’ bullpen on Monday when he threw live batting practice at Great American Ball Park before the team’s series opener against the Cincinnati Reds.
“It went fine,” manager Craig Counsell said. “He threw 25 pitches to a a couple hitters. Fielded his position, pitched out of the stretch, picked off and did everything. We’ll reassess it tomorrow, but we’re definitely making progress.”
Knebel has been on the disabled list since April 6 with a left hamstring strain suffered the night before while pitching in an 8-0 loss to the Chicago Cubs at Miller Park.
The original timetable for Knebel’s return was placed at 6-8 weeks, so if all goes according to plan the right-hander might return ahead of schedule.
“We’ll probably have a schedule laid out as of tomorrow for what’s next,” Counsell said. “He’s doing great. He got through it really good. He just needs to keep progressing as far as facing hitters, live games and then he should be ready to go.
“He’s on schedule, if the rehabs go well, to join us on the next road trip (beginning May 10 in Colorado).”
While Knebel was one of the top relievers in the game last season – a first-time allstar who saved 39 games while tying for first in appearances in the National League among relievers with 76 – the Brewers have nevertheless excelled in the bullpen without him. Josh Hader has saved three games, Jacob Barnes two and Matt Albers one, and Milwaukee’s bullpen entered Monday ranked third in the major leagues with a cumulative 2.45 earned run average.
Only Arizona’s (1.70) and Toronto’s (2.16) bullpens had performed better.
“They’ve done their jobs at a really high level,” Counsell said of his group of relievers. “That’s been a big reason for a lot of our wins, that they’ve put up a whole bunch of zeroes and either preserved a lead or let the offense get the lead in several cases.”
The Brewers could also be welcoming another reliever back soon with lefthander Boone Logan two appearances into a rehab stint at Class AA Biloxi.
He’s been on the DL all season with a left triceps strain.
Counsell also said that catcher Stephen Vogt (right shoulder) was set to begin a rehab assignment with Biloxi on Wednesday. Vogt, like Logan, has been out since spring training.
Bright side: While the news that he was being moved out of the rotation and into the bullpen was tough for him to take, Brent Suter was nevertheless heartened by a couple things on Monday.
In the short view, he’d just gotten a good night’s sleep in his own bed. A native of Cincinnati and graduate of Moeller High School, Suter and his wife, Erin, bought a house in Mount Lookout in the off-season, a roughly 7-minute jaunt northeast of Great American Ball Park.
“It’s awesome,” Suter said. “Like my two worlds meshing together – my offseason world and my baseball world.”
In the wider view, Suter can point to the success he’s had pitching out of the Brewers’ bullpen to help soften the blow of losing his rotation spot to Wade Miley.
Suter is 2-0 with a 1.52 ERA in 20 previous relief appearances (232⁄3 innings) compared to 4-6 with a 4.34 ERA in 22 starts (110 innings).
“It’s a valuable role for the team, having that length down there in the ‘pen in case something happens any given day,” Suter said. “I can help bridge the game.
“That’s one of those roles I relish because even though I’m not one of the five starters I can still help the team. That’s my goal – just prepare as much as I can and go out there and get outs.”
With Suter, Hader and Dan Jennings, Counsell now has three left-handers in the bullpen for the first time since taking over the Brewers. Plus, the left-handed Logan is on his way back, as well.
“It’s always more about just getting guys out,” said Counsell. “To me, it’s who’s our personnel, where do they best fit and then trying to use them the best way to make them successful. If they’re left-handed, that makes us use them differently. If they’re more of a length guy or a short guy or do well against particular types of hitters, we try to put them in those spots to succeed.
“Obviously with how we use Josh (Hader), Dan Jennings has done a really nice job getting us out of some innings in the middle of the game and even late in the game. Our lefties have done a nice job, and it does give you different ways to attack balanced lineups, for sure.”