NewsBrewers place Bush on disabled list
MRI reveals micro-tear in triceps; other decisions loom
By Adam McCalvy / MLB.com
06/23/09 8:37 PM ET
MILWAUKEE -- Dave Bush's right arm is not just tired, it's injured. An MRI scan on Monday revealed micro-tearing at the base of Bush's right triceps, the same spot he was struck by a Hanley Ramirez line drive in Florida earlier this month, and he was placed on the 15-day disabled list for the first time in his career. Bush requires at least 2-3 weeks of rest and will be replaced in the rotation by right-hander Mike Burns, who was recalled from Triple-A Nashville and will make his first Major League start on Thursday against the Twins. |
The Brewers will need another new starter on Saturday to replace left-hander Manny Parra, who was demoted to the Minor Leagues on June 13 and will remain there for at least a few more starts. Manager Ken Macha said he wouldn't reveal that choice until Wednesday, but it could very well be Seth McClung, a key cog in the bullpen this season.
Bush has never missed an outing due to injury, going all the way back to his Little League days. That streak is about to end. "That part is disappointing," Bush said. "It's not a relief to know I'm on the DL, but it's a relief to know I wasn't out of my mind for thinking something wasn't right. At the same time, I was hoping the doctor was going to say, 'Look there's nothing wrong. You just have to work your way through it.'" Bush was struck on the back of the arm, just above the elbow, in the first inning of a loss to the Marlins on June 4, but remained in that game for six innings. He underwent X-rays after the game that revealed no structural damage, but the Brewers did not order an MRI scan until Monday. Bush made three more starts in the meantime, going 0-2 with a 12.71 ERA and feeling more fatigued each time out. He revealed the injury to reporters on Saturday in Detroit after five runs on seven hits in three innings. "It's nothing that's too serious, not anything that's going to require surgery or need anything other than rest and rehab," Bush said. "That's what I'll be doing for the next few weeks." Bush will be able to throw during his DL stint to maintain arm strength. Burns is in line to make four starts in Bush's place through the All-Star break. "He can't continue pitching like he has," Macha said of Bush. "He's much better than that." Burns, who turns 31 next month, worked four scoreless innings earlier in the Brewers-Marlins series but was optioned back to Nashville without pitching again. He is 7-2 with a 2.56 ERA in 12 starts for the Sounds and will be pitching on regular rest on Thursday after taking a no-decision on Saturday at Oklahoma City. Burns allowed only one earned run in 7 1/3 innings in that game and worked around 10 hits. The starting rotation was the top topic on Tuesday afternoon, when Macha, general manager Doug Melvin, Ash and the coaching staff huddled in a conference room at Miller Park to discuss the two vacancies. Macha and Melvin would not reveal the pick for Saturday other than to say that it would not be Parra, who has made one Triple-A start since his demotion. "Maybe a couple more starts from him down there would be more beneficial than putting him back in the fire here," Macha said. "We'll build up his confidence, feel good about himself, stuff like that. I'm not eliminating him from being one of the pieces in the puzzle [in the future]." Added Melvin: "He wasn't pitching successfully here, and he knows he has to get better. ... You can work on things down there that you can't work on here. That's what the Minor Leagues are for, to experiment." Melvin has been exploring trade options but said "there is a good chance" that he will have to fill from within. Asked whether McClung was the top option, Melvin would say only, "That's always a possibility." At Nashville, left-hander Chris Wright is scheduled to pitch on Saturday. "We'll wait and see how we use our pitching in the next few days," Melvin said. McClung entered the homestand with a 3.32 ERA in 27 relief outings. He prefers starting to relief work. "I don't know anything yet [about the team's plans]," McClung said. "I'd like to know. I was told in Spring Training that I was the 'sixth starter,' but they need to do what they think is right, obviously. I'm not going to lobby for it. I'm just going to be ready when they tell me to pitch."Adam McCalvy is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
