The Milwaukee Brewers are limping toward October, and not in a figurative sense. On Wednesday, the club placed veteran left-hander Jose Quintana on the 15-day injured list with a strained left calf. The timing could not be worse, as the postseason picture begins to take shape and Milwaukee’s pitching staff continues to thin out.
Quintana suffered the injury in Sunday’s loss to St. Louis while hustling to cover first base. He managed to finish the inning, but by the time he left the dugout, he was in a walking boot. Tests confirmed the strain, forcing the Brewers to shut him down for at least two weeks.
That means the 35-year-old, who was trying to pitch his way into a playoff rotation spot, now faces an uncertain role heading into October. Right-hander Nick Mears was activated to take Quintana’s place on the roster.
Megill setback raises more concerns
The bigger problem for Milwaukee might be the continued absence of All-Star closer Trevor Megill. Sidelined since late August with a right flexor strain, Megill was expected to return by mid-September. Instead, manager Pat Murphy admitted the rehab has not gone smoothly.
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“Nothing great,” Murphy said before Wednesday’s game. “He didn’t want to push it anymore.”
Megill has been a cornerstone at the back of the bullpen, converting 30 saves while posting a 2.54 ERA. Without him, Murphy is left juggling late-inning options at the exact moment the Brewers are trying to lock down playoff seeding.
The skipper also hinted that pushing Megill into postseason action might not even be feasible: “It’s not recommended. It’s got to have some time to heal. Unfortunately, we don’t have that time.”
Searching for answers
There is at least one bright spot. Lefty Robert Gasser, who underwent Tommy John surgery last summer, made a promising rehab appearance in Triple-A, throwing 2 2/3 scoreless innings. Murphy said fans could see him soon, possibly as a multi-inning reliever.
Meanwhile, right-hander Chad Patrick has impressed since his call-up earlier this month, striking out the side in his latest outing against the Angels.
Still, the Brewers have just 10 games left in the regular season, and their once-steady pitching depth looks fragile. If Milwaukee wants to make noise in October, they’ll need some quick answers, and healthier arms.
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