Not the end of the world
"Houston, we have a problem."
Yes, those words are probably clichéd out by this point, but they are fitting since the Brewers head into Houston tonight to face the Astros...but they'll do it with a couple of changes on the big league roster.
One, that you've heard plenty about by now, isn't a problem at all for most people. Derrick Turnbow was designated for assignment this morning (which basically means the Brewers have 10 days to trade him, assign him to the minors, or release him if he refuses the minor league assignment). Turnbow has supposedly gone on record that he'll take the assignment and do his best to work out his issues in the minors. That's a good thing, Milwaukee fans. Not only does it bring balance back to the roster by providing an extra bat off the bench that we've been lacking, but that man is versatile player Joe Dillon. I'm a Joe Dillon fan.
The driving force behind this article, however, was the other news that came out of Houston today regarding the Brewers...that the spill that Yovani Gallardo took yesterday afternoon in Chicago was not as harmless as we thought (especially after Gallardo stayed in the game, and then came back out to pitch the 6th even).
Gallardo has a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee (note: this is not the same knee that was surgically repaired this offseason and that kept Gallardo out for the first couple of weeks) which looks to sideline him at least a couple of months (though more likely for a while). They'll know more about how long he'll be out once the swelling subsides and they can examine it better.
The roster move I spoke of is the recalling of Dave Bush from Nashville, the same Dave Bush that struggled mightily out of the gates this year and had all of one AAA start to work out his issues (though he was, admittedly, throwing better in his most recent big league starts than his first couple before he went down). In that one start on April 30th, Bush twirled 6.0 IP, surrending only one earned run on 3 hits while walking 2 and striking out 7. The walks still bother me personally, but we don't have a better option to take Gallardo's place right now.
The Brewers as a whole scuffled through much of April offensively, and hopefully the bats are finally beginning to come alive. Scoring 19 runs in a series has got to feel good for a change. I don't think that the team psychologically needs Gallardo like they apparently need a healthy Ben Sheets in order to perform well, but it's got to be a bit of a blow to lose the (arguably) second best pitcher on your team for what could be the rest of the season.
Will the Brewers have a hangover from this? Only time will ultimately tell, but I think we'll get a fair indication tonight in Houston.
Leave it a Chicago Scrub to injure one of the Brewers best and brightest. Let's just hope that the rest of the team can pick things right back up (and yes, that includes Dave Bush).
Come on Crew! Keep the road winning trend alive! Let's sweep the 'Stros!!
The play was a freak accident. Johnson had nothing to do with it. There was no contact, Gallardo just decided to try and land on his feet instead of taking a roll in the grass. There won't be a hangover tonight, but there will be a 8-10 win hit to the Brewers record as a result, so expectations have dropped considerably.
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Aaron, I know it wasn't intentional on Johnson's part, but Gallardo landed first on Johnson's leg, hence the awkward slip because Yo's momentum was still going and his foot wasn't where his body expected it to be.
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Freak injury or not, it happened, and it's time to move on. Yost needs to get this team focused on getting it done, to get them to focus on the basics: throw the ball, catch the ball, hit the ball. It seems at times this team loses its' focus (like tonight) all too often. Is that the fault of the manager, the players, a combination of both?
The loss of Gallardo does hurt, and does mean that Sheets will need to stay healthy in order for this team to contend. Also remember that the Crew went on its' early season tear last season with Gallardo pitching in Nsahville. Bush will be ok, and with Weaver getting into shape in Nashville, we do have another option. Past that, though, it doesn't look so good.
BTW, just watched the Cubs drop one in St. Louis. The Brewers are fortunate to play in this division. The Cubs and Cards have the same problems we do, so we just need to hang tight.
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