Brewers' pitching plans further unsettled as more injuries hit

PITTSBURGH -- The Brewers have been tested by injuries early this season. They seem to keep compounding, but so far, the team has kept pounding away and winning games.

Now, their four-game win streak has come to an end with a 4-2 defeat at the hands of the Pirates on Monday, and their construction project to get 27 outs over the next few days in Pittsburgh figures to be a tough one after Wade Miley went on the injured list on Monday.

Miley, who was slated to start Tuesday, is dealing with left elbow inflammation, and he said it’s hard to gauge the concern level because it’s a different pain from the type he has felt while managing bone spurs in the elbow over the past few years. It will at least knock him out of the rotation for his next three turns.

“Spent most of spring working on the shoulder, finally got it feeling pretty good. Now, this pops up,” Miley said pregame. “It seems like, I mean, I feel like I’m trying to do everything I can to stay on the field, but it’s frustrating.

This bad break means the starter for the next three games, as of first pitch -- and final out -- on Monday, were TBA, TBA and TBA.

Unfortunately, prized arm Robert Gasser -- the Brewers’ No. 5 prospect per MLB Pipeline -- is not expected to be an option this week as he recovers from a bone spur issue of his own in his pitching elbow. However, he could pitch this week during Triple-A Nashville’s trip to Louisville.

As for other options: Jakob Junis was progressing “on track,” as Brewers manager Pat Murphy put it, though he hadn’t thrown off a mound yet. However, he was struck by a baseball in batting practice on Monday and was stretchered off to a local hospital for further observation. J.B. Bukauskas’ return from right shoulder inflammation will “not be any time soon,” per Murphy. And of course, Brandon Woodruff will likely miss the vast majority of the season after right shoulder surgery.

“It’s tough,” said Brewers starting pitcher Joe Ross. “But I feel like it’s a long year, so it’s going to happen. It’s just next guy up.”

How do the Brewers approach this dilemma? By keeping the same focus on today, not tomorrow.

Murphy proved that point when he removed Ross at 79 pitches in the sixth inning with one out. Ke’Bryan Hayes legged out an infield hit, and with two lefties due up and three of the next four batters being lefties, Murphy went to southpaw Hoby Milner.

“It’s always what’s best for the pitcher,” Murphy said of not pushing starters to go deeper given the injuries. “Squeezing more out of somebody this early in the season is not something we like to do.”

What the Brewers will need over the next three days to not only keep their torrid start to the season going but to keep their pitching plans in as good of a shape as they can be are innings like the ones Thyago Vieira provided Monday.

After Ross exited and the Brewers allowed three unearned runs following an rushed toss to first from a usually surehanded Jake Bauers, Vieira worked out of the two-on, two-out jam he inherited. He came back for the seventh and scuffled a bit to start, but struck out Michael A. Taylor swinging with the bases loaded to escape the jam.

That set up the Brewers to bring the winning run to the plate in the eighth thanks to a command meltdown by Aroldis Chapman.

“That’s crucial to be able to do that,” Murphy said. “He held it right there where we had a chance again.”

The bats didn’t cash in this time, but if the Crew’s bullpen can keep covering innings in that fashion, they’re going to give their offense a chance to drive in runs and weather this tough early-season hand of health woes they’ve been dealt.