Sal Frelick’s return from the break turned into a nightmare after re-aggravating a shoulder injury, forcing the Milwaukee Brewers to recall Blake Perkins while turning to rookie Luis Lara.
The Milwaukee Brewers' first game back from the All-Star break turned out to be a nightmare for outfielder Sal Frelick.
Frelick was nearly pinch hit for in the fourth inning, but his spot in the lineup never got around. Heading into the fifth, manager Pat Murphy made the decision to replace him with Luis Lara.
Original indications weren't good, and Murphy said he "suspects he won't be able to go anytime soon," according to MLB.com's Adam McCalvy.
Sure enough, a move to the Injured List was necessary. The Brewers announced their latest transaction on Saturday, July 18, with Frelick being placed on the 10-day IL as the team recalled fellow outfielder Blake Perkins from Triple-A Nashville.
Frelick heads to the IL
The 26-year-old has been extremely durable during his MLB career thus far, but Frelick is dealing with some shoulder issues that are holding him back. Murphy said this is similar to what the left-handed batter was dealing with earlier in the year, though no IL stint was required.
The team thought Frelick had worked everything out, but he made a throw against the Miami Marlins that re-aggravated the injury. As a precautionary measure, he was pulled from the game. Now, it's clear Frelick needs more than just one day off as the Massachusetts native was forced to go on the IL.
Milwaukee has far more pitchers on the IL than position players, but Frelick officially joins outfielder Brandon Lockridge and utility infielder David Hamilton. These injuries continue to add up, but the Brewers are at least recalling someone with plenty of experience at the major league level.
Perkins returns to the Brewers
Since being demoted to Triple-A, Perkins has slashed .222/.364/.586. Those numbers come in a 27 at-bat sample size, fresh off his 89 at-bats with the Brewers. Lara is not only eight years younger, but the team also gave him a monstrous seven-year, $31 million contract before he stepped foot in the big leagues.
There's no doubt Lara will earn everyday playing time over Perkins, but there's nothing wrong with having the 29-year-old back on the bench.
Perkins is arbitration eligible starting next year, but he's still making just $780,000 this season. He's an easy number for the Brewers to have around, and he's a solid defender, but one who doesn't bring nearly as much to the plate offensively as Lara.
Neither are huge home run hitters, but Lara is undoubtedly who this team will be going to now that Frelick is injured.
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