Braun, Piña hope to return soon
ST. LOUIS – The Milwaukee Brewers opened an important series against St. Louis on Friday night with leftfielder Ryan Braun and catcher Manny Piña banged up but with hopes that their absences would be short.
Braun, the hottest hitter on the club (.373, 4 HRs, 12 RBI over the last 17 games), tweaked his right rib cage attempting a sliding catch on a sinking liner by Chicago’s Jason Heyward on Wednesday and exited that game. He was not in the starting lineup against the Cardinals but took some swings before the game. Although he was listed as “day to day,” he pinch hit in the ninth inning and struck out.
“We don’t think it’s too serious,” manager Craig Counsell said. “He has certainly been playing very well. With injuries, we have to try to stay ahead of that stuff with him. Unfortunately, we ran into another speed bump.”
Piña’s left shoulder was injured in that game in a collision with Cubs second baseman Javier Baez and returned to Milwaukee for an MRI, which was negative. The shoulder was still sore Friday, especially when Piña took some swings, but he said he hoped to return to action Saturday.
“They found no damage, nothing broken,” Piña said. “It’s sore. Tomorrow, I think I’ll be OK. If it feels better, I think I’ll play.
“I felt like it was moving back and forth (on Wednesday). I was scared a lot. When they put ice on it and took it off, it felt bad.”
Said Counsell: “If this was his right arm, we’d have to be more cautious. But the left arm is an issue, swinging the bat, for a right-handed hitter. So, we have to be careful with that.”
No Davies plan yet: Counsell said he would wait until he talks with righthander Zach Davies to announce the next step in his return from shoulder and back issues. Davies had not rejoined the club after a rehab assignment Thursday night for Class AAA Colorado Springs.
It was the fifth outing on this particular rehab program (Davies had one cut short earlier) and there’s enough time remaining for him to make another start if deemed necessary. Pitching in Iowa, he went only 32⁄3 innings on 79 pitches (41 strikes), with three hits, five walks and four runs allowed.
“There were some good signs yesterday and some not-so-good signs,” Counsell said. “Obviously, the walks are not a good sign. We watched the tape. His stuff was very crisp the first couple of innings. But it didn’t end well, and the walks are not characteristic of him.”
In five outings – one with Class A Wisconsin, one with Class AA Biloxi and three with Colorado Springs – Davies is 0-3 with a 6.87 ERA. Including four earlier starts on rehab, he is 0-4 with a 6.19 ERA with a 1.560 WHIP.
“The (pitching) lines from the minorleague games have not been as clean as you would have liked,” Counsell said. “Part of that is a function of rehab and getting back on the mound. I don’ t think he has pitched as well as he would have liked, as well.
“Everything factors into it – how our guys are doing and is there a spot (in the rotation)? The nature of the injury, everything.”
Davies has made only eight starts for the Brewers this season (2-5, 5.23) and hasn’t pitched in the majors since May 29, with just two outings since April 29.
Reliever Matt Albers, on the comeback trail from a strained hamstring, pitched very well for Biloxi, with two perfect innings and five strikeouts. Counsell said he would make a third appearance Saturday, “and then we’ll see where we’re at, at that point.”
Anderson moved back: Right-hander Chase Anderson was moved back from his scheduled start Sunday against the Cardinals and will pitch Monday against Cincinnati. Righty Jhoulys Chacín will move up to pitch the series finale,.
Chacín is 0-2, 8.59 in two starts against St. Louis this season and 0-7, 6.90 in nine career outings. Counsell was aware of that history but preferred more rest for Anderson, who failed to make it through five innings in his last two starts.
“We’ve been trying to find ways to give Chase a little bit of extra time, if we can, in spots,” Counsell said. “Jhoulys is throwing the ball well. He hasn’t pitched great against the Cardinals this year but I think it lines up for him to pitch well against them. He was excited about the opportunity to pitch well against them. It’s about making pitches.
“We have looked at Chase’s innings a little bit (1291⁄3). One hundred and fifty is basically the number he has gotten to every year. I wouldn’t say this is solely about getting Chase an extra day. That’s an added benefit of it.”