The Detroit Tigers (11-2) are atop the MLB, but they are dealing with a lingering injury issue to one of their important starting pitchers. On the other hand, the Milwaukee Brewers (2-11) are at the bottom of the league and will be without their starting catcher for a little while.
Justin Verlander was pulled from a spring training start at the end of March because he was experiencing stiffness in his right triceps. The right-hander was placed on the disabled list for the first time in his career to begin the 2015 season and has been rehabbing the injury in hopes of returning on April 20. That didn't happen, and it could be much longer before he returns.
The veteran pitcher underwent an MRI last Thursday and the results confirmed he still has a strained right triceps, James Schmehl of MLive.com reported on Monday evening. Verlander pitched a simulated game on Wednesday, but he cut the assignment short because he was experiencing fatigue after just three innings of work. His throwing schedule has been shut down for the time being.
"When he wasn't able to make a step that we wanted, that's when we decided to dive into some testing at that point in time," Tigers head athletic trainer Kevin Rand told Schmehl. "Because it gave us a little bit more concern. But it turned out everything was as we expected from the beginning."
In Milwaukee, the injury bug has hit the Brewers. First, outfielder Carlos Gomez was placed in the disabled list with a hamstring injury earlier this month. Then second baseman Scooter Gennett sliced open the top of his left hand in the showers at PNC Park and is expected to miss a few days and could still hit the DL.
The latest news is perhaps the worst.
Star catcher Jonathan Lucroy fractured his left big toe after fouling a pitch off his foot on Monday night and will be placed on the DL, according to Adam McCalvy of MLB.com. Lucroy was already off to an awful start this season, going 7-for-45 with only three runs scored and two RBIs, which came after his All-Star campaign in 2014 (.301/.373/.465 with 73 runs scored, 13 home runs and 69 RBIs).
No timetable has been provided for Lucroy's return, which further adds to Milwaukee's woes. They rank last in the MLB for runs scored (31), home runs (4), on-base percentage (.257), slugging percentage (.297) and OPS (.554). Their pitching also is 28th in ERA (4.86), 27th in WHIP (1.40) and 29th in opponents' batting average (.285).
The Brewers have a big hole to dig themselves out of and they'll have to start doing so without Lucroy, Gomez and Gennett for the near future.
