PEORIA, Ariz. -- Brewers right-hander Tobias Myers will open the regular season on the injured list with a left oblique strain, but a return to action before the end of April is in play based on the results of an MRI scan, according to manager Pat Murphy on Monday.
¡°It¡¯s a little better news than we thought,¡± Murphy said.
Myers exited his start against the Angels on Saturday with discomfort on his left side and underwent an MRI on Sunday. Even though the results were encouraging, the timing is problematic, because even a one-week shutdown at this point of camp takes him out of consideration for the Opening Day rotation, given the steps he¡¯d have to take to get back to being game-ready.
The Brewers open their season on March 27 at Yankee Stadium, and Myers, who delivered a 3.00 ERA in 138 regular-season innings last year, was projected to start either the finale of that series on March 30, or the home opener against the Royals on March 31.
Getting him fully healthy is a priority considering the state of the rest of the rotation. The Brewers will open the season with at least five Major League starters on the IL: Myers, Aaron Ashby (right oblique) and DL Hall (left lat), who all went down this spring; and Brandon Woodruff (right shoulder) and Robert Gasser (left elbow), who are rehabbing from major surgeries.
The timelines vary. As of Monday, Ashby had been restricted from any throwing for two full weeks since exiting his March 3 start at the Reds, a longer shutdown than initially hoped. Hall was shifted to the 60-day IL when the Brewers signed left-handed starter Jose Quintana and isn¡¯t eligible to return before May 26. Woodruff threw in a Major League game for the first time on Sunday but still faces a long build-up to the point where he can start in a regular-season game. And Gasser isn¡¯t expected back in the Majors from Tommy John surgery until August or September.
The Brewers¡¯ healthy starters are Freddy Peralta, Nestor Cortes and Quintana, though Quintana is about a week behind where he normally would be due to signing relatively late. He¡¯ll need two more Spring Training starts before he¡¯s to the point he could cover five innings, putting him somewhere in the middle of the Brewers¡¯ first homestand at best, but not in the Opening Series in New York.
To fill the other openings in April, the Brewers could use left-handers Tyler Alexander or Connor Thomas or right-hander Elvin Rodriguez in spot starts. For a more extended stint in the rotation, Logan Henderson (MLB Pipeline¡¯s No. 13 Brewers prospect) or Chad Patrick are the top internal options. Both are on the 40-man roster and have already been optioned out of big league camp, but can return to make starts and attend selected meetings as needed.
Henderson is scheduled to start Monday afternoon at the Padres. Rodriguez is slated to start Tuesday at the Mariners.
In a way, it¡¯s a full circle moment.
Myers was a little-known non-roster invitee at this time last season who was called up amid a rash of injuries to make his Major League debut in Pittsburgh on April 23. He ran with the opportunity, delivering 27 games (25 starts) during the regular season, plus a scoreless start in Game 3 of the NL Wild Card Series against the Mets, and winning Brewers Most Valuable Pitcher honors from the local chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America.