1:40pm: Gasser is on his way to Los Angeles to meet with Dr. Neal ElAttrache for a second opinion, per Rosiak on X.
1:05pm: The Brewers announced today that they have recalled left-hander Aaron Ashby and right-hander Tobias Myers from Triple-A Nashville. Lefty Robert Gasser has been placed on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to June 2, with a left flexor strain while right-hander Janson Junk was optioned to Triple-A Nashville.
Gasser, 25, started on Saturday but he felt tight and sore in his elbow after that start. Manager Pat Murphy gave a positive update yesterday, per Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on X. “There’s a possibility he could miss some time,” Murphy said. “But from the first MRI, I guess it looks pretty normal.”
Despite that perspective, it seems that either the club decided to be cautious and let Gasser’s arm heal up or further testing revealed something more concerning. It’s unclear exactly how long the club currently expects him to be out of action at this point, but he’ll miss at least a couple of turns through the rotation while on the IL.
An injury to a pitcher’s throwing elbow is always a concern but it’s an unfortunate development for the Brewers even if Gasser is only slated for a short stint on the IL. He has performed well in his first five career starts with a 2.57 earned run average thus far. His acclimation to the major leagues will now be put on pause and the team will lose yet another rotation option.
Brandon Woodruff is going to spend the entire season on the injured list after last year’s shoulder surgery. Wade Miley had Tommy John surgery and won’t be able to return this year. Jakob Junis initially went on the IL due to a shoulder impingement but had his return delayed when he was hit by a batted ball during batting practice. DL Hall is out due to a knee sprain and Joe Ross due to a strained lower back.
Despite all the rotation injuries, the club is 36-25 and six games up on the Cubs in the National League Central. Ashby is going to take the ball today and the club is off tomorrow. They can then turn to Freddy Peralta, Bryse Wilson and Colin Rea through the weekend but will need to figure out how to construct their rotation beyond that.
Junis started a rehab assignment last night but only tossed two innings and probably needs a few more outings before rejoining the big league club. Ashby could stick around but he has an ERA of 6.80 in Triple-A this year and his one previous MLB start saw him allow four earned runs in 3 2/3 innings. Myers has made seven appearances for the big league club this year but with a 5.40 ERA in those.
Given the rotation uncertainty and the club’s position in the standings, it seems highly likely they will be looking for starting pitching prior to the trade deadline at the end of July. Quick returns from Junis, Gasser and some others would obviously improve the situation but there should be plenty of room for additions. Peralta is a legit playoff game starter but Wilson just moved in from the bullpen this year while Rea is a journeyman who’s about to turn 34 years old and only striking out 15.8% of opponents.
There are still plenty of teams trying to suss out their deadline approach but there are some clear sellers right now. The White Sox are the worst team in baseball and should be marketing Erick Fedde, while Garrett Crochet could be available as well. The Marlins have already started selling and could make Jesús Luzardo or Trevor Rogers available. The Angels have Tyler Anderson, Griffin Canning and Patrick Sandoval as plausible trade candidates. Plenty of other pitchers could become available depending on how clubs like the Tigers, Blue Jays, Mets, Astros and others fare in the weeks to come.
Gas!!!!!!! He gone
Going to see Dr. Re-Attach.
Never a good sign.
Kid was doing well. Heal up proper and complete, RG…
He is also a good candidate for a Pepto Bismol ad or Beano!
Honestly, we need more players named “Robert” to go by “Bob” nowadays. I’m all for the Bob Resurgence.
Asby again! Pretty soon the star comes off as a prospect. He was signed to an extension with marginal results and then got injured. he is about all we got. The Brewers have Freddie and the Ham and Eggers and the never worked out crowd! Hope Gasser comes back soon. Big vacancy at number two starter. As negative as I am, got to tip the hat to our pitching the last two days. We have pitched well in Philly!
I dont think the Gas is going to pitch at all the rest of the year. Even if he escapes going under the knife, the Brewers are going to be extremely careful with him. Too bad because he was doing so well and yes the obvious huge hole in our starting pitching.
Arm issues across the board are getting a bit troublesome, wouldn’t you say? Would be interesting to understand the economic effect on teams to sign high-salary pitchers, hold and absorb the costs during lengthy injury periods and support rosters with additional signings. The increase in costs vs. previous eras where pitchers don’t seem to have been injured long-term.as frequently.
Deep pocket arguments can be tabled – I’m curious about actual economic effect to a team rather than whether or not owners can afford to absorb these costs.
Arm issues are certainly a bit troublesome, to say the least!
I can’t speak to the economics, but as a fan of starting pitchers, these huge gaps in their career records are terribly aesthetically displeasing.
Another one, another one.
He is just Gassed.
See you in 2026 Bobby.
I wanted to see Gasser face Soler.
Gasser will be back in three weeks and Blalock, Patrick, Rodriguez and Ashby are going to help this rotation
I am glad you have some much confidence! BTW Ashby 5 innings 2 runs today. A 2 HR after walking first 2 batters in the 5th inning. So close but so far!
Gonna be brace surgery. Gets to come back for spring training
Internal Brace is usually 12 months.
Better trade (not involving Adames!) for an actual starter who can go at least 6 innings on a steady basis. Otherwise, this bullpen is going to be worn out by the end of June or the all star break.