Suter back in starting rotation
Brent Suter will be a starter again for the Brewers, replacing the injured Wade Miley.
DENVER – Some pitchers, especially those with less experience in the major leagues, chafe when shuffled back and forth between starting and relieving.
Not Brent Suter.
The Milwaukee Brewers left-hander is back in the rotation, replacing injured Wade Miley, at least for the present. Manager Craig Counsell announced Friday, as expected, that Suter would start Sunday against Colorado in the spot occupied for only two starts by Miley.
Suter, 28, began the season in the rotation but was moved to relief duty when Miley recovered from a groin strain suffered in spring training. When Miley strained an oblique in the first inning of his second start Tuesday against Cleveland, Suter took over and pitched 42⁄3 solid innings, setting the stage for re-entering the rotation.
The swingman role is something at
which Suter has become accustomed during his 44 appearances in the majors, beginning in 2016. In fact, his outings have been split evenly, with 22 starts (4-6, 4.34 ERA) and 22 in relief (3-0, 1.78).
“I feel like it’s a good opportunity to help the team out,” Suter said of returning to starting. “Obviously, Wade going down is a tough situation. No one wanted to see that. But it’s the next guy up. I’ll try to fill that spot the best I can and hopefully help the team win on Sunday.”
As for why it doesn’t seem to bother him, physically or mentally, to move back and forth between the roles, Suter said, “Part of it is practice. I’ve done it the last four years (including the minors). Another part is that I don’t really have to change too much with my routine.
“The way I pitch, nothing really changes between starting and relieving. I just try to be as efficient as possible and attack the strike zone real quick. It’s nothing too drastic for me. Some guys get in that starting routine and have trouble going back and forth. For me, my routine is somewhat consistent in both roles.”
Suter worked hard to put on muscle over the winter with hopes of going deeper in games as a starter. That didn’t work out but now, with another chance, does he think this is his shot to show he belongs in the rotation for good?
“It’s more like just an opportunity to help the team out,” he said. “I forgot how much I like that role of being the long guy in the bullpen until I went back there. I liked it more than I remembered. But whatever the team needs, I’m more than happy to do.
“Like most things in life, acceptance is one thing but if you embrace (the swingman role) with enthusiasm, it takes it to another level.”
No one appreciates that ability to transition between starting and relieving more than Counsell, who didn’t have to think hard to name Suter his starter for Sunday.
“As much as anything, it’s a function of attitude,” Counsell said. “It’s not attaching too much importance to the words ‘starter’ or ‘reliever.’ It’s attaching importance to just getting outs.
“I do think Brent is physically wired to do it. He bounces back really well, maybe by the nature of how he pitches. It’s just who he is. It makes the transition a little easier for him.”
Fitting right in: In a bullpen that has been one of the best in the majors this season, rookie right-hander Taylor Williams has shown he, too, can make a transition with relative ease. A starter in the minors before missing two seasons with Tommy John surgery, Williams has fit in nicely, posting a 2.38 ERA in 10 outings, with 19 strikeouts in 111⁄3 innings.
“It’s been awesome so far,” Williams said of being part of a high-performing group. “It has pushed me to be better. We have a mix of young talent and guys with a lot of experience. I’ve tried to learn from those guys as much as possible, learning how they go about their business, on and off the field.”
As for his new life as a relief pitcher, Williams said, “I don’t think the transition has been as tough as a lot of people might think. I had some experience pitching in relief in summer league in Washington when I was in college. Just having that understanding about how to go about it has helped.
“From a personality standpoint, I think relief pitching has been a good fit for me. I like to be active. Preparing to pitch every day fits me pretty well. Not knowing what the situation might be makes it exciting.”