Crew's pitching staff takes another hit with Miley sidelined

PHOENIX -- The Brewers’ pitching staff took another hit on Thursday, when left-hander Wade Miley was scratched from his first scheduled Cactus League start against San Francisco.

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Miley was held out because of groin soreness, and while the injury is not believed to be serious, it will complicate the Brewers’ early-season rotation plans behind new No. 1 Freddy Peralta.

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“He’ll obviously not be ready” for the start of the regular season, manager Pat Murphy said of Miley, who previously had been listed at “50-50.” The Brewers open on March 28 against the Mets.

Miley was delayed by shoulder soreness early in Spring Training and has thrown only three innings in two simulated games this spring. He threw a bullpen session on Thursday instead of making the start, which was taken by Robert Gasser.

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Miley is not the Brewers’ first pitcher down. They lost All-Star closer Devin Williams last week to a back injury that is expected to keep him out for about 12 weeks, and they entered camp without 2023 Nos. 1 and 2 starters Corbin Burnes (traded to the Orioles) and Brandon Woodruff (right shoulder surgery). Miley made 23 starts last year, third most on the team.

“Wade is in the best shape of his life,” Murphy said. “Wade has embraced the weight room. He has embraced nutrition. He has embraced high-performance training. I don’t think there is a limit we can put on [injury]. I want him out there every time he is healthy.

“Somebody else has to step up. We have depth in that area.”

Peralta has been announced as the Opening Day starter, and left-hander DL Hall and right-hander Colin Rea are scheduled to pitch the final two games of the opening series against the Mets in some order, Murphy said.

Joe Ross, Jakob Junis, Bryse Wilson and Aaron Ashby are the remaining candidates still in camp with starting experience. Murphy has said Gasser, who was reassigned to Minor League camp this week, also is a rotation candidate. Gasser gave up six runs in 3 1/3 innings Thursday.

“It is obvious we are going to have to operate differently,” Murphy said. “You have to embrace it. What else can you do? We might be without Miley. Woodruff, obviously, Burnes, Devin. We’ll just keep going.”

Junis and Wilson have each made three starts this spring, and Junis will start against the Cubs in a split-squad game Friday.

The schedule may help alleviate some early stress. The Brewers have three off-days in the first eight days of the season, one in New York and one on either side of the home-opening series against Minnesota from April 2-3, so they could go without a fifth starter until their four-game series in Cincinnati that begins April 8.

If Miley does not pitch in a Cactus League game after March 24, his placement on the injured list could be back-dated the maximum three games. In that case, he would only miss the first 12 days of the season and could return for the second game of the Cincinnati series, health permitting.

Junis, Wilson and newcomers Taylor Clarke and Bryan Hudson also offer flexibility. Junis spent most of the last two seasons in San Francisco as an opener or long reliever, and Wilson was used out of the bullpen last year. Ashby will not be an early bullpen option, Murphy has said.

“We’ll have more length guys on the staff than we have ever had,” Murphy said. “That’s how we are training them, because that’s how we have to. We have to get those innings from somewhere. Everybody has to be able to go one-plus, for sure, and I think most of our staff can do that.”