Ailing Cain goes on the 10-day DL
Sometimes, you don’t find out how valuable a player is until you don’t have him.
The Milwaukee Brewers already knew the value of centerfielder Lorenzo Cain, who went on the 10-day disabled list Tuesday with a left groin strain. To replace Cain on their roster, the Brewers recalled outfielder Keon Broxton from Class AAA Colorado Springs.
Cain, who had other aches and pains, had hoped to avoid the DL but did not respond well enough to treatment on the day off Monday to remain active. Cain exited the game Saturday with the groin strain but also had been hit on the elbow and shoulder with pitches in the St. Louis series while also experiencing hamstring cramping.
“After going through treatment the last couple of days, he’s unable to play,” manager Craig Counsell. “We think it’s mild and it’s going to be a short stay (on the DL) but we just didn’t think it was worth waiting three or four days to see if he’s ready to go.
“He’s out for eight days, after missing two already, then we’ll reassess. We’re hoping it’s on the short end.”
Cain’s absence comes at a time when third baseman Travis Shaw, the team’s cleanup hitter, also is out of action with soreness in his right wrist. Shaw had to leave the game Sunday against St. Louis and wasn’t expected to play in interleague games Tuesday and Wednesday against Kansas City.
The hope is that Shaw will be ready to play when the Brewers open a fourgame series in Cincinnati on Thursday night. If not, he could be headed for a DL stint as well.
“We’re going to try to get through the next couple of days with him, then increase his workload,” Counsell said.
“He has responded today; he’s much better than he was yesterday and Sunday. So, I think we’re going in the right direction. There’s nothing structural in there. It’s a wrist strain.”
Cain had been everything the Brewers envisioned when they signed him to a five-year, $80 million free-agent deal in late January.
In 72 games, he was batting .291 with a .394 on-base percentage, 48 runs scored, 16 stolen bases, eight home runs, 43 walks and 26 RBI, batting primarily in the leadoff spot.
“Don’t worry about the leadoff spot; it’s Cain the baseball player,” Counsell said of losing him. “He’s a good player; he’s having a great season. But this is part of a baseball season. We have to be equipped to handle losses. I think we are. It’s been a strength of this team so far and how we’ve gotten to this point.
“We’re sitting in a pretty good spot, still.”
Christian Yelich, who had been splitting time in the corner outfield spots, will see most of the action in center during Cain’s absence. Broxton was the No. 1 centerfielder before Cain’s acquisition and is comfortable in that spot. He will also see some time in the corners along with Ryan Braun and Eric Thames and possibly Hernán Pérez.
Although Shaw’s wrist injury was not deemed severe enough for him to go on the DL, he has not been the same hitter while dealing with it. He has only one home run this month and none since June 5, a span of 54 plate appearances. He is batting .211 in 18 games in June with a .694 OPS, a huge drop from his .927 OPS in May.
“Thursday will tell us a lot,” said Shaw, who will not try to take batting practice until then. “The plan is to play Thursday. If I can’t, there probably will be other avenues we’ll take.”
Broxton became odd man out when the Brewers acquired Cain and Yelich in the offseason despite hitting 20 home runs and stealing 21 bases in 143 games last season (he also struck out 175 times and batted only .220). He was in the final cuts of spring training and has been with the Sky Sox since, batting .263 with nine homers, 35 RBI, .767 OPS and 24 stolen bases.
As for why Broxton got the call this time instead of another recall of Brett Phillips, Counsell said, “Lately, he’s been swinging the bat pretty well. That’s why he was the choice to come back. They are similar players. One (Broxton) is right-handed, the other is left-handed. But they have similar skill sets."
The injuries to Cain and Shaw come at a time when the Brewers are embarking on a rugged stretch of playing 21 games in 20 days entering the all-star break, including a makeup doubleheader July 14 in Pittsburgh. They have no scheduled days off during that stretch.
“Every season has a stretch or two like this," Counsell said. "So, it’s not uncharted with these guys. Every team does it, and it’s our turn to take it. There will be some rest with players and it’s a stretch where you have to really monitor the bullpen and its usage.
“Hernán is a player who’s going to get a little opportunity here. In the outfield, we’re going to count on Ryan. We’re going to need some health from Ryan to get him out there as much as we can.”
Braun recently had a cryotherapy injection in his ailing right thumb and started just one game over a one-week stretch but Counsell said, “He should be ready to go. I think he’s in pretty good shape.”