Lauer out for start of season with shoulder issue

PHOENIX -- The early front-runner for the No. 5 spot in the Brewers’ rotation won’t be ready for the start of the 2020 season.

Eric Lauer is dealing with a left shoulder impingement, which manager Craig Counsell said on Tuesday will prevent the left-hander from being on the Opening Day roster. Lauer sustained the injury after his last start on March 1, leading to him being shut down.

Counsell said the plan is for Lauer to play catch by the end of the week. There was no need for testing on the southpaw’s shoulder, as Counsell said the issue is “relatively minor.”

“He’s expressed some kind of normal Spring Training stuff he has every year and just thought this was very similar to it,” Counsell said. “Doctor saw him, checked out good. … It’s going to slow him down a little bit, but he can get ready pretty quickly again, so we’re not talking about past the first day he could be activated if you start the year on the injured list.”

Lauer is hoping to play catch as soon as Wednesday, which would give him a better indication of when he could begin to ramp up his throwing activity and potentially line up a more precise timetable. However, he isn’t worried about the impingement in the big picture, noting it’s “nothing serious.”

“It’s the normal spot that I usually get sore [in spring], it’s a normal knot that I normally get,” Lauer said. “I’ve been changing some things with my arm path, so I think it’s just brought on a little sooner than usual and a little stronger.”

Lauer is entering his first season with the Brewers after being acquired from the Padres on Nov. 27. He went 14-17 with a 4.40 ERA in 53 games (52 starts) for San Diego over the past two seasons. The 24-year-old will likely contribute for Milwaukee at some point this season.

With Lauer out, right-handers Freddy Peralta and Corbin Burnes will continue to battle for the final spot in the Milwaukee rotation.

Burnes is having an impressive spring, as he’s allowed only one run in 10 innings over four Cactus League outings. Peralta has also pitched well, giving up three runs in 7 2/3 innings over three spring starts.

“I don’t know if we’ve made any final decisions there, and with two weeks left to go, I think we have to give ourselves some flexibility to protect ourselves, just in case anything else happens,” Counsell said. “So we’re going to keep those guys going for now and see how it rolls out.”

Woodruff continues strong spring
Before Tuesday’s 5-2 win over the Royals, right-hander Brandon Woodruff had thrown only one curveball in three Cactus League starts. But with the regular season approaching -- and a possible Opening Day start -- it was time for him to start mixing in all his pitches.

The results were positive, as Woodruff allowed one run on two hits and two walks over four innings at Surprise Stadium. He estimated that he threw about six or seven curves and was pleased with the results.

“I was trying to work that in, changeups, just trying to mix everything in now,” Woodruff said. “You’ve got to start putting together some sequences, you can’t just rely on two pitches.”

Woodruff has allowed only two earned runs in 10 innings this spring. Prior to this start, though, he had only three strikeouts over three outings. On Tuesday, he fanned five.

“This spring’s been a little bit different for me. I haven’t necessarily gone for the strikeouts. I wasn’t necessarily going for them today, but then you start getting in those good counts,” Woodruff said. “Just kind of a reassurance that I can still go out there and put up some strikeout numbers.”

Black back on the mend
Right-hander Ray Black (back soreness) resumed playing catch Monday and is expected to throw off a mound Wednesday. Counsell said the club has been cautious with the 29-year-old right-hander, who hasn’t pitched in a Cactus League game since March 1.

After getting traded from the Giants at last year’s Trade Deadline, Black is with the Brewers during Spring Training for the first time. He posted a 5.14 ERA in 15 games for Milwaukee last season and is currently battling for a spot in the Crew’s bullpen.

Up next
Peralta takes the mound when the Brewers travel to Glendale to face the Dodgers on Wednesday at 8:05 p.m. CT at Camelback Ranch. The 23-year-old righty is looking to bounce back from his first tough outing of the spring last Thursday, when he allowed three runs in 2 2/3 innings against the Reds. Watch the game live on MLB.TV or MLB Network.