Davies puts 2018 behind him
PHOENIX – Even with the team’s overwhelming success on the field, few players on the Milwaukee Brewers’ roster looked forward to turning the calendar to 2019 more than Zach Davies.
Plagued last season by shoulder and back ailments, Davies spent more than half the season on the disabled list, making only 13 starts. Still not back on track when he did pitch, Davies went 2-7 with a 4.77 ERA and was not included in the Brewers’ postseason rotation.
It was a far cry from 2017, when Davies led the Brewers with 17 victories and took every turn.
“I wasn’t really mad but I was frustrated that I kind of lost the year,” Davies said. “It wasn’t being angry. It wasn’t disappointed. It was different, I guess. It was one of those things tough to explain.
“Structurally, there wasn’t anything that needed to be fixed. It just kind of piled on. Doing normal workouts and bullpens, I couldn’t feel it. But when game time rolled around, that next step up, there still was a tweak in my back.”
Davies was feeling much better physically by season’s end but still tailored his winter workouts to focus on his shoulder and back, making sure he felt strong in those areas. When Davies reported to camp Wednesday, he already had thrown a handful of bullpen sessions and felt as good as ever.
“Especially with the later offseason (after the team’s playoff run), I started in the beginning of November and hit the ground running,” Davies said. “I wanted to focus a lot more on my throwing programs and training stuff. It did make me eager to come to camp and be ready.”
Asked if he thought the shoulder and back issues were related, Davies said, “I don’t know if it was changing anything but it could have been having to take time off and get into game speed again. That might have thrown my body off and affected it. But I didn’t change anything mechanically or compensate in any way to injure my back.”
It’s no secret that there are more than five candidates vying for spots in the starting rotation this spring. Manager Craig Counsell stopped short of saying Davies had a foot in the door but did note the pitcher has a body of work that comes into play – a 31-18 record and 3.91 ERA in 67 career starts for the Brewers.
“He is definitely farther along on this thing than some other guys are, because of his experience,” Counsell said.
If Davies has to compete for a job in the rotation, he’s fine with that. The main thing is to feel healthy. If that box is checked, he figures he’ll do just fine.
“I don’t know if there are any assurances,” Davies said. “I think it’s a bad thing if people take it that way, too, even if they have a for-sure spot. Guys start to get lazy and not care because they have job security. I don’t take it as such.”
Pérez’s winter included surgery
There were times last season when utility player Hernán Pérez didn’t look like the same player, particularly in terms of driving the ball. He particularly struggled in September, batting .190 with a .418 OPS. Overall, his OPS dropped from .704 to .676.
As it turns out, Pérez was playing with a bone chip in his left wrist, which was surgically removed after the season. He never mentioned the issue during the season and always told Counsell he could play when asked.
“It was bothering me a lot,” Pérez said. “I tried to battle through it. One time during the season, I couldn’t move my hand. I didn’t want to use it as an excuse. I felt it when I was swinging the bat.”
Hand/wrist specialist Don Sheridan, whose office is here, performed the procedure to remove the fragment, and Pérez reported to camp feeling no discomfort. Because he was rehabbing the wrist, he did not play winter ball in Venezuela as usual.
Counsell commended Pérez for dealing with the issue without complaint and said it never was deemed serious enough to warrant time off.
“I think the credit is he went out and did his job, and he helped us a lot,” Counsell said. “He does a lot of things for us. He checks a lot of secondary boxes and that ends up being a bigger job.”
Shaw pulling for Moustakas
Travis Shaw reported to camp earlier than asked Saturday, prepared to play third base again. That was his position until late July of last season when the Brewers acquired Kansas City third baseman Mike Moustakas, prompting a move to second base for Shaw.
Moustakas is still on the frigid freeagent market, with reports of an “imminent” return to the Brewers. If that happens, Shaw again will be asked to play more at second base, and he insisted he is OK with that if it means Moustakas, who has become a friend, has a job.
“‘Moose’ is a great guy, and if he came back here I would welcome him with open arms,” Shaw said. “I also think that if he came back here, I don’t think that would be the deal that he was looking for going into the offseason. I mean, I’m wishing that he gets what he deserves.
“This is the second straight year he’s had to deal with this. It’s unfortunate, and it shouldn’t happen.”