Peralta Day-to-Day After Early Exit

It’s looking more and more like there’s tough times ahead this fall for Brewers fans, after dropping the series finale with the Reds due to a ninth-inning Cincinnati rally, Milwaukee finds themselves four games back with six to play.

But that’s not the only concerning issue around the team right now.

Wily Peralta had a strong outing in the loss last night, but according to Adam McCalvy the rookie pitcher left the game early in the sixth due to tightness in his right bicep.

According to the report, Peralta mentioned that his arm was ‘bothering him’ to Milwaukee third baseman Aramis Ramirez. Ramirez said that the word was passed on through the clubhouse and manager Ron Roenicke and the training staff kept an eye on his performance through the later innings.

His last strike out in the sixth inning – against Mat Latos – was apparently the straw that broke the camel’s back as the training staff went to the mound and retrieve him to cut his no-decision short after 5 1/3 innings of play.

It might not be the most major injury in the world, but for a rookie it would be more beneficial to err on the side of caution (Benny Sieu-US PRESSWIRE)

The Brewers have officially marked the rookie as ‘day-to-day’ after his exit, but all signs point to Peralta heading back to the mound for his final start on October 2nd against the San Diego Padres. Peralta himself told McCalvy that he thinks he’s ‘Ok for the next one’ and that despite the fact that injuries happen, he still thinks he gave a good performance.

There’s no question that Wily Peralta is a future staple of this Milwaukee Brewers rotation, and there’s little reason to doubt that he would, in fact, be ready for his next start. Roenicke himself showed little concern about the injury over the long-term, but it has to have Brewers fans wondering about what comes next for this pitching staff.

As the games draw closer to a close, it may be safer to give Peralta a rest in his last start, unless necessity absolutely demands his presence on the hill. Bicep injuries are usually nothing major, but if left to linger under duress they can become more serious. The last thing any Brewer fan – and I’m sure any member of the Milwaukee clubhouse – would want to see is Peralta suffering longer-term damage or tightness because he felt the need to go out and face the Padres in what might turn out to be a meaningless game.

For now, however, we have to go by the word of the player and those entrusted to care for him. If he says he’s ready to go, I have no doubt that he could give a good performance again. The only downside of it being that it was obvious to many observers that Peralta was not playing his best, and he insisted on staying out on the field.

I do like when a player shows that kind of toughness and grit on the field, but when it comes at what could be the expense of his career down the road, a little perspective is better. He’s 23 now, and anything that gets aggravated now could be a lot worse heading down the road. It’s a far bigger price to pay then pride, so we can only hope that Wily Peralta and the Brewers can play it safe as we head into the off-season.