Miley, Logan injuries cause 'unfortunate day'

PHOENIX -- A 4-3 walk-off win over the A's on Wednesday should have been cause for celebration. Instead, the Brewers were lamenting a pair of pitching injuries with Opening Day eight days away.
Rotation hopeful Wade Miley, making his final start before an "out" date in his Minor League contract, exited his outing against the A's with a left groin strain and went for an MRI scan. Two innings later, reliever Boone Logan left the game complaining of discomfort at the back of his left shoulder and also went for an MRI. Results won't be known until Thursday.
"It's an unfortunate day," said manager Craig Counsell, whose day was only half over, as another Brewers split-squad was about to hit the road for a night game against the Mariners in Peoria, Ariz. "Pending the significance of these things, it obviously changes quite a bit. Certainly, Logan was a lock and Wade had made a really good case to be on the team.
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"If it's something we're going to have to deal with, it may change things pretty quickly. We've got to keep options, and having a day like this is probably a good example of why you have to have options available."
As Counsell suggested, the Brewers were not immediately certain of the severity of either injury, said GM David Stearns.
"You kind of expect something like this to happen at some point in camp," Stearns said. "It's frustrating when it happens, but that's why you have multiple guys. That's why you have depth."
Miley, 31, was making his sixth appearance and fifth start as a nonroster invitee to Brewers camp and appeared a leading candidate for one of two open spots in the starting rotation, despite a poor start last week against the Reds in which he surrendered seven runs on 10 hits in three innings. The left-hander was pitching in the fifth inning of a scoreless game when he strained his groin fielding a bunt.

"He pitched very well today. Maybe his best start," Counsell said.
Wednesday's start was notable in that it came a day before the date that Miley can request his release if not promised a spot on the Opening Day roster.
"We're going to have to sort through all that," Stearns said. "Step 1 is to determine the magnitude of the injury. He is in an MRI tube as we speak, I believe."
Junior Guerra, Brent Suter and Brandon Woodruff are the other rotation candidates with Miley.

Since Miley is on a Minor League deal, he does not have the same protections of a player on the 40-man roster. He can still ask for his release on Thursday, or remain on his Minors deal.
"It's the same as every Minor League player," Stearns said. "If we go down a path where he's still with the organization, we would rehab him and hopefully get him back to health.
"Look, I think you bring guys in because you believe they have an ability to contribute at the Major League level. Wade had a nice spring; today is obviously unfortunate for a number of reasons."
Logan represents an equally troubling loss, since the Brewers were counting on him as a left-handed specialist. That would free fellow lefty Josh Hader for a more flexible role.
Logan entered Wednesday's game in the middle of the seventh inning and left after throwing three pitches. He was sidelined much of last season with the injuries after enduring a serious lat injury.
"Certainly he's coming off an injury, so I would say it's going to make us cautious as we kind of progress from it," Counsell said.