Brewers place Thames, Guerra on 10-day DL
Orf, Wilkerson return from minors
PITTSBURGH - The Milwaukee Brewers have been making player moves fast and furiously in recent days but couldn't see coming the two players who landed on the disabled list Saturday morning.
The Brewers put first baseman Eric Thames on the 10-day DL with right hamstring tightness and added pitcher Junior Guerra to that list with right forearm tightness. Thames was replaced on the roster by infielder Nate Orf, who had been optioned back to Class AAA Colorado Springs two days earlier, and Guerra was replaced by left-hander Brent
Suter, the starter for the second game of a doubleheader against Pittsburgh.
Teams are allowed a 26th player for doubleheaders, so the Brewers made one more player move, recalling right-hander Aaron Wilkerson for another stint with the club.
Thames exited the game Friday night with the hamstring issue, and it was determined afterward he would not be able to play in the doubleheader or the first-half finale Sunday against the Pirates. With the four-day all-star break coming, the decision was made to take advantage of that time by placing Thames on the 10-day DL.
"Eric is a little sore today and not available to play these two days," manager Craig Counsell said. "He can’t run right now. Hopefully, when we come back from the break, Eric is doing well. We’ll have to re-evaluate that Thursday to get a timetable on that."
Thames, who missed seven weeks with a torn thumb ligament, didn't want to hit the DL again but said it made the most sense with the allstar break factored in.
"We're hoping the 10 days will be enough," Thames said. "We won't know for sure for a few days. You never know what's going to happen with injuries. That's the way it is."
After his worst start of the season Friday night (nine hits, six runs in four innings), Guerra met with Counsell and the athletic training staff, and the decision was made to place him on the DL with the forearm problem.
"He had a little forearm issue before his last start but it kind of resolved as the week went on," Counsell said. "He's at less than full strength right now, so we're going to have to give him a break. It’s the cautious thing to do and the right thing to do.
"He saw the doctor last night. We don’t think it’s serious but he is going to need some time off. We’re going to evaluate him on Thursday. He did have this before his last start, which makes you a little cautious. It is still kind of day to day, with the break built in."
With Thames on the DL and Jesus
Aguilar getting some rest in the first game, third baseman Travis Shaw made his first start at first base since coming to the Brewers before the 2017 season. Shaw played in 50 games at first base, including 28 starts, for Boston in 2016, so it was
not a new experience for him.
It was an interesting turn of events for a team that was wondering how it was going to get all of its first base candidates playing time at the start of the season. But Ryan
Braun and Thames are on the DL, and Ji-Man Choi was traded to Tampa Bay in June for infielder Brad Miller.
"Obviously, things change," Counsell said. "We’re a little more fluid now because we lost Eric. He was going to play both games. Acouple of guys get hurt, and a guy has a day off, and there you go."
In the neighborhood: For the second time in a week, Orf was recalled by the Brewers without actually leaving town. Last weekend, he was recalled after one day when Braun went on the DL but was still in Milwaukee and just reported back to Miller Park.
After being optioned back to the Sky Sox on Thursday, Orf remained here and basically was a tourist, seeing the local sites with girlfriend
Ashley Estrada. He didn't get the three-day all-star break that Colorado Springs had while he was in the majors, so he was told to take a few days off.
"I learned after the first one that you're not out of it until you're down (in the minors)," Orf said. "I stayed on guard a little more this time.
"I've just been enjoying the city. I've been looking out at the stadium from the hotel window for two days, and they let me back in. That's fine by me."
Roster roulette wheel spinning: Because of injuries and rotating arms in the bullpen, it has been a very active season for the Brewers in terms of player moves. But the past week has been particularly crazy, with the team making an incredible 23 moves over seven days.
"It's been very active," assistant
general manager Matt Arnold said. "I don't know if it's just the time of the year or what. We've had a lot of injuries lately, too.
"We try to stay proactive and make sure Craig has a full set of guys every night to compete. It has definitely kept us busy. We wanted to make sure we had enough guys here for the doubleheader and the game Sunday."