Trevor Megill Placed on Injured List with Flexor Strain in Forearm

[markedman5]

Image courtesy of © Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

The Brewers have proved themselves to be better at scouting and development than any other team in baseball—to be the league's hardest pipeline to disrupt. With barely a month left before the end of the season, though, the team now faces one of its sternest tests in recent memory. They placed Trevor Megill on the injured list Wednesday, and signed drifting spare arm Erick Fedde to help soak up innings as they race toward the finish line of the regular campaign.

I documented the erosion of Megill's dominance (and the connection between those struggles and his workload) earlier this week, so this doesn't come as a monumental surprise. It does, however, constitute a massive blow to a team that needed Megill and his firepower to help lock down the back ends of games.

It's possible Megill will be down for the balance of the regular season. In fact, that's the safe bet. Across dozens of cases since the start of 2016, pitchers who suffered flexor strains in their throwing arms any time before September 1 have had an average time to return of 72 days, and a median time of 56 days. The Brewers are cautiously optimistic that Megill's is a mild strain, and the pressure and value of the postseason will probably call him back to action in under 35 days, but it would be an upset to see him make it back before the end of September.

While he's gone, presumably, Abner Uribe will slot in as Milwaukee's new closer. We're likely to see Shelby Miller and Nick Mears step one rung up the ladder each, and perhaps Craig Yoho will get one more chance to make good on all the hype around him going back to the spring. Of course, the Brewers also have more starters than they'll need, come October. We could see Chad Patrick and/or Jacob Misiorowski slide into relief roles for the playoffs, if they're needed in those positions. For now, the main thing is to hope Megill can get right by then—but there are still some important games left to play to finish off the team's third straight division title, too.

Fedde is an extra arm, and little else. He does, loosely, fit the characteristics we've seen the Brewers target and mold well in recent years, but there's almost no time left for them to make any meaningful changes to what he does or how he does it. The scarce resource of coaches' time and attention only grows more scarce come late August and early September, too. Consider the chances that he emerges as anything more than a sponge for the innings the team has been trying to soak up with whoever they can scrounge up during this overloaded stretch of the schedule to be remote. Then again, never fully count out the Brewers and their capacity to work fast magic.

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[HarryDoyle]

I was waiting for that Megill injury news to pop up.

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

Hoping it's just a rest/reset stint. 

Not sure what the plan for Fedde is, other than to just eat innings to keep out more fragile starters fresh for October.

[markedman5]

3 minutes ago, Ron Robinsons Beard said:

Hoping it's just a rest/reset stint. 

Not sure what the plan for Fedde is, other than to just eat innings to keep out more fragile starters fresh for October.

My guess is that will be the role……injuries just hitting at the wrong time…..at least we can add someone in a few days.

[wiguy94]

This is a pretty massive blow. There’s a non-zero chance that Megill threw his last pitch as a Brewer in 2025

[Jim French Stepstool]

Fedde doesn't exactly make you want to throw streamers up in the air but we've all seen them pick up a pitcher & get more out of him then we thought they would

Megills' workload wasn't all that heavy in the last 6-7 weeks. I'm sure his extended inning Sunday didn't help.

[duewizard]

At least Uribe has shown recently he may be able to handle the closer role.

Fedde feels like Teheran or Alexander. Hopefully he can keep us in games

[Brewer77]

Sounds like “I’m a bit sore, give me a week off and I’ll be fine”

But I’m not gonna fully bank on it considering our history with crushing late season injuries 

 

[markedman5]

 

[tmwiese55]

Hindsight it would've been nice to find a way to keep Cortes.  I think we all were a bit surprised when that went down.   Wouldn't surprise me if there was a behind the scenes discussion with his agent that led to it, impending FA for him and everything. 

Bad luck on timing that everyone was healthy at the time causing the logjam.   Without going back and digging too deep the possible route to a spot for him was probably Miz down for a few weeks (which happened a week later anyway) or until someone else got hurt or schedule demanded it. But at the time how could you send Miz down

[wiguy94]

I’m going to hold up on celebrating a minor flexor strain until we have more clarity. I remember when Henderson went on the IL it was better than expected and he was expected to be back soon. Now he’s on the 60-Day IL and effectively done for the year.

[patrickgpe]

The issue is the 7th and 8th. Koenig has struggled. Miller has been ok minus a bad outing or 2. This is own is overworked and now everyone moves over a chair. This would be a great time to use yoho but it’s clear that murph doesn’t trust him (hopefully just yet) 

[LouisEly]

27 minutes ago, patrickgpe said:

The issue is the 7th and 8th. Koenig has struggled. Miller has been ok minus a bad outing or 2. This is own is overworked and now everyone moves over a chair. This would be a great time to use yoho but it’s clear that murph doesn’t trust him (hopefully just yet) 

Yoho might be the only one eligible and/or ready to be called up on 9/1, so that might be what they are saving him for.

Patrick was optioned on the 25th, so he's not eligible to be called up until 9/8 unless someone goes on the IL (unless there's an exception for expanded rosters on 9/1, which a Google search did not reveal).  Carlos Rodriguez is in the same boat, optioned on the 24th so not eligible until 9/7 barring an injury.

Anderson was placed on the IL on 8/25, so he isn't eligible to come off until 9/8.

Gasser could come off the 60-day IL, but they said they want at least one more rehab start from him which IIRC is on Friday, 8/29, so he won't be ready on 9/1.

D.L. Hall is not likely to be ready until at least mid-September.  Henderson is done for the rest of the regular season.

Zastryzny could be ready, he's on a rehab assignment.  It's either he or Yoho on 9/1.  That's it (barring someone else going on the IL).

 

[Samurai Bucky]

1982:2025 :: Fingers:Megill?

I hope not…. Megill needs to come back.  

[patrickgpe]

32 minutes ago, Samurai Bucky said:

1982:2025 :: Fingers:Megill?

I hope not…. Megill needs to come back.  

Let’s stay positive here :)

[LaprilOne]

Just heard a Murph interview.  He sounded really down, not his usual optimistic persona.

 

[HarryDoyle]

3 hours ago, wiguy94 said:

I’m going to hold up on celebrating a minor flexor strain until we have more clarity. I remember when Henderson went on the IL it was better than expected and he was expected to be back soon. Now he’s on the 60-Day IL and effectively done for the year.

Exactly. Seems like these nothing injuries are always more serious than these guys let on.

[LouisEly]

The silver lining is that it likely explains why he hasn't been pitching well lately. 

Injury, not ability.

[jay87shot]

I don't mind the Fedde signing at all. He was really really good last year. He had a 5.6 WAR. Now clearly he isn't the same but if anyone can make a few quick adjustments to a pitcher it is our staff. I would say he looked ok today but give our staff a couple weeks and I bet you he can be like Quintana the rest of the way.

I am not to worried about Megill, I get this isn't a nothing injury but if he can get back even a week before the end of the year I think that is fine. Abner has been so good and the overall depth is so good that we will be fine. 

[markedman5]

 

[markedman5]

Adames just turned a beautiful DP with bases loaded to preserve the lead for Giants

[Brian]

7 hours ago, Ron Robinsons Beard said:

Hoping it's just a rest/reset stint. 

Not sure what the plan for Fedde is, other than to just eat innings to keep out more fragile starters fresh for October.

Flexor strain for Magill if its minor is 2-3 weeks off. 

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

10 hours ago, Brian said:

Flexor strain for Magill if its minor is 2-3 weeks off. 

He said it was pretty minor, and is hoping to be back after the minimum stay on the IL

[Frisbee Slider]

18 hours ago, wiguy94 said:

. I remember when Henderson went on the IL it was better than expected and he was expected to be back soon. Now he’s on the 60-Day IL and effectively done for the year.

It always seemed to me we were preserving Henderson for next year after we sent him down earlier in the season.

[Playing Catch]

24 minutes ago, Frisbee Slider said:

It always seemed to me we were preserving Henderson for next year after we sent him down earlier in the season.

True. He has just over 100 IP this season, and last season's 81 was his previous high-water mark.

I'm crossing my fingers that the Brewers believe so much in depth and sufficient rest that a lot of these injuries (position-players included), are really about re-setting the whole squad for the playoff push. There are 2+ months remaining of baseball. Getting a physical AND mental break now is good.

For the "peak-too-early" crowd, these injuries are surely harrowing harbingers, but I think good teams like the Dodgers always use roster depth to manage workloads.

I am worried about Megill. But the Brewers can probably mitigate that loss more than other teams. His MLB innings have been poor, but would anyone be surprised if Yoho came up again and dominated? Obviously not in a 9th-inning role, but still... that's impressive bullpen depth compared to most teams.