The Milwaukee Brewers announced Tuesday they placed starting pitcher Matt Garza on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to Saturday, with a right lat strain. It’s unclear when he will return.
Continue for updates.
Latest on Garza’s Recovery Timeline
Tuesday, April 5
Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported Garza will miss at least four-to-six weeks.
Garza Comments on Lat Injury
Tuesday, April 5
“It just got suddenly tight and it was the last start before the season, so no need to push it,” Garza said, per MLB.com’s Chris Abshire. “More precautionary than anything. I didn’t feel comfortable.”
Garza Looking to Rebound with Healthy 2016 Season
Garza is coming off a brutal 2015 season in which he finished 6-14 with a 5.63 ERA. According to FanGraphs, his 4.94 FIP was the highest of his career, while his 0.6 WAR was his lowest since his rookie season in 2006.
The Brewers will be counting on Garza to rebound in 2016. They don’t have a ton of depth in their starting rotation, and they’re paying him $25 million over the next two seasons, so they need to get a return on their investment.
Starting the regular season on the DL isn’t an encouraging sign for Garza’s chances this year. Milwaukee called up right-hander Tyler Cravy from its Triple-A affiliate, the Colorado Springs Sky Sox, to take his place in the pitching staff.
Cravy appeared in 14 games for Milwaukee in 2015, posting an 0-8 record and a 5.70 ERA. The Brewers have an off day Thursday and then another on April 12. Manager Craig Counsell can shuffle his rotation around a bit to avoid Cravy having to make a start if that’s the team’s plan following his call-up.
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