5 Things to Hope For in a Brewers New Year, Part 2

Part two of five in a series for the new year.

2. A serviceable starting rotation

Who Will Start For Brewers on April 6?

With Mark Rogers and Amaury Rivas both sent to the minors it seemed as though Wily Peralta stood as the logical choice to start for the Brewers on April 6. The twenty-one year old right hander started vs the Rockies on Friday and faired extremely poorly, recording only one out while walking two, giving up five hits and five earned runs. Tim Dillard relieved him, pitching 2.2 scoreless innings.

Given his performance it's hard to imagine Peralta filling in for the Brewers on April 6. I wonder if they might now consider a non-roster invitee such as Marco Estrada or Eulogio De La Cruz, or even Tim Dillard, previously left out by Roenicke in discussions about the April 6 start. Maybe they decide to sign a cheap veteran to provide some depth. Choosing any of those options would require removing someone from the 40-man roster. Maybe they call up Amaury Rivas. Mark Rogers seems to be the best option at this point, but he won't be stretched out by April 6. He could be, though, by April 16, the next time the Brewers will need a 5th starter. After Peralta's poor showing, questions remain to be answered. Stay tuned...

Mark Rogers Debuts Monday, Demoted Tuesday

Mark Rogers gave up two runs vs the Giants yesterday in his first appearance of 2011 on a home run by Pablo Sandoval. He came away pleased with his outing, having experienced no discomfort in his twice surgically repaired shoulder. Ron Roenicke wasn't as excited, saying Rogers "just didn't look like he was comfortable. He worked really slow; a little too methodical." I'm sure Rogers was disappointed today when he was reassigned to AAA, having previously vowed to ready himself to fill in for injured ace Zack Greinke.

Gallardo to Start Opening Day in Cincinnati

Yesterday Ron Roenicke announced his plans to line up the Brewers starters (sans Zack Greinke) to open the season. For the second consecutive year Yovani Gallardo gets the nod on opening day. He'll face off against Reds ace Edinson Volquez in Cincinnati on March 31. Said Gallardo: "It's very exciting for me, and it just gives me that opportunity to go out there and show what I'm capable of doing."

Injury Bug Bites Brewers

Greinke: That guy's finger looks like it hurts

The injury bug bit the Brewers camp today. Jonathan Lucroy broke his right pinkie finger this morning during drills. He'll have a pin inserted in his finger tomorrow and will miss four weeks. It's uncertain as to whether he'll need to start the regular season on the DL. This must be a huge disappointment for him as it's the first spring he's entered as the Brewers full time catcher. He's bound to lose some of the time he'd have spent catching new Brewers pitchers and he'll enter the regular season with little, if any, at bats under his belt. Here's hoping he's ready for opening day.

Brewers #1 Prospect, Mark Rogers, Back on Track

This Sunday Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel featured Mark Rogers, the man currently listed as the Milwaukee Brewers' #1 Prospect. The Brewers selected Rogers in the first round of the 2004 draft. Rogers previously sat atop the Brewers' prospect list in 2006, second only to a young slugger named Prince Fielder (you may have heard of him). He made his major league debut in 2010 after years in prospect wilderness. Rogers' late-season success in Milwaukee's bullpen and starting rotation marks the culmination of an incredible comeback effort.