The Milwaukee Brewers have placed pitcher Trevor Megill on the injured list due to a flexor strain in his throwing arm, as announced by the team on Wednesday. In related moves, the Brewers have signed right-handed pitcher Erick Fedde to a one-year deal and made room for him on the 40-man roster by shifting fellow right-handed pitcher Logan Henderson to the 60-day injured list. (Henderson has been dealing with his own flexor strain since early August.)
At 31 years of age, Megill participated in his first All-Star Game earlier this summer. Over 49 appearances, he recorded a 2.54 ERA (164 ERA+) and a 3.41 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Furthermore, Megill also achieved 30 of his 51 career saves and compiled 1.4 Wins Above Replacement, according to Baseball Reference’s metrics.
In Megill’s absence, the Brewers are expected to adopt a closer-by-committee strategy. This approach will likely see Abner Uribe, Shelby Miller, Jared Koenig, Aaron Ashby, and Nick Mears assuming save opportunities based on matchups and scenarios. Uribe secured a save on Monday, while Miller took the mound in the ninth inning on Tuesday (though it was a tied game).
As per Baseball Prospectus’ records, the average recovery time for a flexor strain is close to 70 days, with a median recovery period of 49 days. The Major League Baseball regular season is just slightly over four weeks from finishing, meaning Megill will need to recover faster than usual if he hopes to return prior to the commencement of the playoffs.
Fedde, 32, is now with his third team this season, having played previously for the St. Louis Cardinals and the Atlanta Braves. He currently has a 5.76 ERA (73 ERA+) in 125 innings pitched thus far. He is anticipated to fill a mop-up role.
The Brewers are set to face the Arizona Diamondbacks in the third game of their four-game series on Wednesday. Milwaukee entered Wednesday holding the best record in the majors, with six fewer losses than any other team. Unless an unexpected situation arises in the following weeks, the Brewers are likely to head into the postseason with home-field advantage throughout and a first-round bye.
