Injury Update: Brewers Spring Training Day One

A baseball season is a marathon and one of the biggest keys to spring training is keeping everyone healthy. Teams that keep keep their roster intact and free of major injury are more likely to get off to fast starts. As pitchers and catchers reported to spring training today, the Brewers got two positive injury updates that are critical to the team’s success in 2015.

The first update was Jonathan Lucroy‘s hamstring injury. When first reported, the injury sent a shock throughout Brewer Nation. Were he to have gotten injured mid-season, like St. Louis Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina did last year, it would have been devastating for the club. By missing time now, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com indicated that Lucroy may see more work than usual this spring as he will be able to get regular at-bats.

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Though the prognosis is four to six weeks, Lucroy has been active in all baseball related drills, including catching. The only work that he has not been a part of is running. This is not a major issue considering that Lucroy is not a burner on the base-paths.

The other injury that McCalvy reported on was that Tyler Thornburg‘s elbow. All signs are positive with his right arm as he appears ready to go this spring.

This is equally positive news considering that Thornburg should have a major role in the bullpen again this season. Last year before being overworked and facing injury, Thornburg was great surprise. He finished the year with a 4.25 ERA, but his overall numbers were much better. Take away a poor final outing against the Pittsburgh Pirates and he would have finished the season with a 2.83 ERA.

At just 26-years-old he can be a excellent, reliable piece of the staff for years to come. If he is fully healthy again at the start of the season, the Brewers bullpen has the potential to be as dynamic as it has ever been.

Pitchers and catchers were first required to report today and all news is positive coming out of Arizona. There is still a long way until the regular season begins, but this hopeful injury news is a great way to start the spring.