Knebel takes another step in comeback
It was only an intrasquad outing, not a major-league baseball game, but it still was a step forward for reliever Corey Knebel.
"It felt good to be back out there," Knebel said Friday after pitching one inning in the Milwaukee Brewers' situational intrasquad game at Miller Park. "I'm happy with how I feel right now. Everything feels good, so that's a positive."
Knebel missed all of 2019 after blowing out his pitching elbow in spring training and having to undergo Tommy John reconstructive surgery. The original plan was to begin this season on minor-league rehab assignment, then rejoin the Brewers at the outset of June, but that was before the COVID-19 pandemic blew apart everything, including baseball.
To try to get back in pitching shape, Knebel threw two live batting practice sessions back home in Texas during the game's shutdown, then two more in the early days of the Brewers' summer camp. He's still working on his velocity – he threw his fastball in the 92-93 mph range Friday, about four or five clicks down from his good days – and spiked a few curveballs but the main thing is the elbow feels good.
"I threw a couple more balls than I wanted to, but it was good to be out there and simulate some game action," said Knebel, who threw 19 pitches and issued one walk while striking out one.
Earlier in the day, manager Craig Counsell said he expected Knebel to make the team's expanded pitching roster when the delayed 60-game season begins July 24 with a game against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. After his outing, Knebel said he expected the same thing.
"I'm feeling very confident that I'll be ready to go," Knebel said. "We've got (14) days and I'm right where I need to be right now. I'm feeling really confident that I'll be there for the start of the season."
With Knebel out all of 2019 and Jeremy Jeffress struggling so badly he eventually was released with a month to go, Josh Hader was the sole survivor of the trio dubbed the "electric dudes" by
Counsell. Getting a healthy Knebel back in the mix could be a huge boost for the bullpen but Counsell said he won't get too giddy in the opening weeks.
"We will definitely be careful with his usage as I think everybody falls on that list right now," Counsell said. "Corey might have a different set of rules, but I think that whole part of the game is going to be different for at least the first couple weeks of the season for every pitcher. But Corey's coming back.
"He has not pitched competitively for 15 months, hasn't pitched in a bigleague game. So like I said the first day, recovery with pitchers is at the forefront of our thinking here. We'll have to be careful with that. I think Corey's stuff from what I've seen in two appearances so far this spring, or this summer, is really good. It's going to be back. We just need to build a base underneath him that allows him to recover as best as he can as we go into the season.”
Knebel said he hoped to being throwing in the upper 90s by now but understands it takes time to build his arm back up after missing an entire season. He also realizes he has to throw his curveball for strikes to keep hitters off his fastball.
"The curveball's looking pretty good," he said. "I definitely could throw it for a strike today. I still have to keep working on that and make sure I can shape it how I want, but I definitely feel comfortable throwing it for strikes when I'm behind in the count. I'm going to keep working on that and once everything starts clicking, I'm feeling pretty good about that."
Development time important
With no minor-league seasons this year because of the pandemic, player development is going to suffer tremendously. To try to ease that problem a bit, the Brewers assigned many of their top prospects, including shortstop Brice Turang, left-handers Ethan Small and Antoine Kelly, and outfielders Corey Ray and Tristen Lutz, to the alternate training site in Appleton.
Rather than have those prospects miss an entire year of development, they will benefit from working out, receiving coaching and participating in intrasquad games. Counsell said the young players also will benefit from spending time with veterans assigned to that camp to provide in-season replacements should the Brewers need them.
“We're searching for the best way to get at least some players development,” Counsell said. “Our traditional form of baseball development has been just to play as many games as you possibly can. It's going to look different.”
Eric Lauer reports
Left-hander Eric Lauer was expected to report to the Brewers on Friday after missing the first six days of camp due to a non-COVID-19 illness, according to Counsell.
"He's here today and he's going to throw today," Counsell said. "His arm health is good."
Lauer, acquired along with shortstop Luis Urías from the San Diego Padres in the offseason in exchange for right-hander Zach Davies and outfielder Trent Grisham, was in the running for the final spot in the rotation before a shoulder impingement shut him down about a week before spring training was halted.
His last Cactus League game action came on March 1 and he finished 1-0 with a 1.69 earned run average in three appearances (one start) with nine strikeouts in 51⁄3 innings.
He had been competing with Corbin Burnes and Freddy Peralta, both of whom are still in the running to claim that starter's role.
Lauer was a workhorse the previous two seasons for the Padres, logging a total of 261 2/3 innings over 52 starts. He also provides additional balance as a lefty for an otherwise right-handedheavy rotation.
Gamel goes deep
Outfielder Ben Gamel, who has fared well on both sides of the ball, continued his stellar play with a two-run homer off right-hander Josh Lindblom in the intrasquad game. Veteran lefty Brett Anderson started for the other Brewers squad.
It was an interesting day in right field, where instructors Quintin Berry and Matt Erickson filled out the lineups. Berry barely missed a diving catch on a sinking liner from Orlando Arcia, who gave him a big smile from first base.