It's do-or-die time for the Milwaukee Brewers, and they're starting to feel the pressure. If they want to secure the No. 1 record in baseball and a first-round bye in the postseason, they cannot let up by any means, despite having one of the toughest stretches of their season ahead. That makes the loss of toolsy reliever Abner Uribe a serious blow to Milwaukee's bullpen during a critical juncture of the year.
Uribe, a 26-year-old setup man and a fixture of the Brewers' bullpen rotation, was placed on the 15-day injured list with a right forearm flexor strain — an injury that could take anywhere from one week to two months to recover from, depending on the severity. Luckily, it doesn't sound like there's any serious long-term concern for Uribe after receiving a clean MRI and playing catch in recent days, according to Sophia Minnaert.
However, the timing couldn't be worse for the Brewers now that the Dodgers are only a game behind in the overall National League standings with the Braves lurking right behind them, and the NL Central rival Chicago Cubs three games back of Milwaukee in the division.
So what does Abner Uribe's injury mean for the Brewers and the road ahead?
Thankfully, the Brewers' pitching rotation is loaded enough that they have some options to replace Uribe during this stint. After two more games in Los Angeles, the Brewers will return home for consecutive series against the Mariners and Braves, before hitting the road to face the Mets. Uribe should return sometime during the following series against the Rangers, back home in the Brew City.
With Uribe hurt, Milwaukee called Grant Anderson back up into the majors. He's posting a 3.65 ERA in 45 appearances and just under 50 innings pitched. Although the 29-year-old isn't the most efficient of the Brewers' options, he remains in the 80th percentile of both expected ERA and expected batting average, offering a decent bridge between the starters and Milwaukee's sterling closer, Trevor Megill.
Meanwhile, the team will almost certainly lean more heavily on Aaron Ashby, who has cooled off from a dominant early-season stretch but remains one of the best players at his position. The southpaw has 13 credited wins through 66 innings pitched and will likely have to manage a heavier workload with Uribe out of the rotation. We could also see a heavier dose of another lefty in DL Hall, whose 2.45 ERA ranks among the best on the Brewers, albeit through just 36 innings.
The pressure is on for Ashby to deliver, Anderson and Hall to prove their worth, and for Uribe himself to tackle his rehab swiftly to return at full strength and help the Brewers punctuate what's otherwise been a historic season for one of the best teams in baseball.
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