The Milwaukee Brewers continue to struggle with long-term injuries.
The Milwaukee Brewers took another hit to the health of their pitching staff on Tuesday, as news broke that reliever Angel Zerpa will receive Tommy John surgery, effectively ending his season.
The report came from MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy on Monday.
Zerpa, a 26-year-old lefty from Venezuela, came to the Brewers from the Kansas City Royals in a Dec. 14 trade that saw left fielder Isaac Collins and right-hander Nick Mears go to Kansas City.
Concern for Zerpa arose when he was placed on the 15-day Injured List for left forearm tightness on April 29. However, his placement was retroactive to April 26, one day after he pitched less than an inning in a 6-3 extra innings loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates in which he allowed a hit, an earned run and a walk while striking out one of the four batters he faced.
Zerpa appeared in 12 games for Milwaukee and had an 0-2 record with a 6.39 ERA and a 1.64 WHIP over 12 2/3 innings of work. In that span, he also struck out eight batters while allowing 16 hits, nine earned runs and six walks. Moreover, he had two saves, two holds and three blown saves.
Zerpa joins a growing list of tenuous health situations for Milwaukee’s stable of arms. The Brewers were hoping to get right-hander Quinn Priester back in the mix soon after he made a rehab start for Triple-A Nashville on Friday, but it did not go as planned.
What was supposed to be another point of progress in Priester’s return from right thoracic outlet syndrome went wrong, as he managed just two innings during his outing and allowed five earned runs, seven hits and two walks while logging just one strikeout. On Monday, it was reported by Curt Hogg that Priester is back on the injured list after suffering a setback in his recovery.
Other pitchers joining the Brewers’ list of injured players include Brandon Woodruff, who was pulled from his April 30 start against the Arizona Diamondbacks after displaying a concerning drop in velocity. That outing turned into a 15-day IL stint for Woodruff as well to recover from right shoulder inflammation.
Other pitchers on the list include lefty Jared Koenig, who suffered a left UCL sprain in early April that will keep him sidelined until late May or early June. Another is southpaw Rob Zastryzny, who is recovering from a left shoulder strain that landed him on the IL a day before Milwaukee’s home opener. A ribcage injury suffered during his recovery means he is not expected back until late May.
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